Of Dark and Light
by Poppin' Roxin
Summary: Something so small happened during Sasuke's curse mark transition, and now he won't let Sakura out of his sight. She can only watch hopelessly as he merges with his dark form into someone unrecognizable, not sure if she likes it or not. SasuSaku
1. Prologue

_Hey guys! This is mostly another story idea that came up while I was writing my new story The Playboy's Bestfriend, dealing with Sasuke's curse mark and how it could possibly go wrong. Since I saw no other story that gave this idea, I decided to give it a try. After all, I love making my stories original._

_This was mostly written for the purpose that it's the day after Thanksgiving, there's no school, my friends are all busy and there's NOTHING TO DO. ARGGG. I couldn't update The Playboy's Bestfriend early because there's the interlude chapter I'm still writing, and I wanted to get this out before I forgot about it XD_

_Okay… here I go!_

.

_**Of Dark and Light**_

_**Prologue**_

.

Birds fluttered away from their branches at his scream, startled as his agony pulsed in every fiber of his being as the throbbing in his shoulder strengthened with each pulsation. The forest, dark green and murky brown, swiveled around him while his eyes darted for something—_anything_—that would pacify his pain. His pale hands were clawing at the bark, insistently ripping and pulling, his palms reddening as he continued to make the tree raw and bare.

The sensation grew worse, soon enough his hands were at his throat, nails almost tearing when he felt a pair of cool hands push them down, one of them intertwining with his. The cold was relieving in comparison to his feverish heat, and he gladly accepted the welcome of the person encouraging them to their chest, gritting his teeth as he squeezed that hand, roaring.

They were muttering worried, encouraging words, but all that came to Sasuke's ears were tinkling bells that made the burning much more bearable. His eyes were screwed shut as another throb hit at full force, gasping softly as the other hand gripped his other arm gently. Panting, he attempted to force himself into a place inside his mind where he could be distant from the pain, but ultimately failed once he felt his sight waver, the sight before him blurring into colors in shapes and his mind reduced into mush, unable to recognize or acknowledge anything out of the ordinary.

He could feel himself falling into unconsciousness; the black spots were filling in the blind spots in his eyes as the prickling feeling started from his forehead all the way down to his toes. It was almost as if his soul was being forcibly torn from his physical body into some sort of other dimension, one where he would sleep for an amount of time. The person's voice heightened and was obviously in a panic once he felt the pain suddenly disappear and reappear consistently.

He couldn't take the hurt. It was about to fry his brain, prod his eyes and burst his heart internally if he couldn't stop it soon. Once that one chance of falling into a long sleep of coma showed itself, whispering reassurances that the pain will vanish entirely, he welcomed it with open arms.

Prying his eyes open for a moment, he could see only one thing.

Sakura's beautiful, beautiful face, her pink hair and emerald eyes shining in worry as her lips parted as if speaking incoherently.

The Uchiha fell onto her body in a heap, a resounding thought rumbling in his conscious.

_Sakura…_

He never knew the risk of the last imprint in his mind, that once he woke up, he would made her involved into his new problem.

A dark pulse shattered his mind, memorizing his thoughts and words as her image came to mind. The dark persona mimicked him curiously, _"Sakura…"_

.

_Gahhh, this gave me chills XD. Sounds interesting doesn't it? By the way, if you don't know what I'm talking about, this takes place during the Chuunin Exams when Sasuke was bit by Orochimaru. It should be implicit here, but I just wanted to make sure you guys knew:)_

_How does it sound? Interesting, boring? This will be one of the things I'll work on if I'm stumped on The Playboy's Bestfriend (BECAUSE I JUST KNOW ILL BE BORED). Anyway, I love stories of SasuSaku, or even Team 7 when they were still all together. So, one AU fic and another realistic fic. Alternating between the two should satisfy my writer's block from either of them._

_~CiiCiinREX._


	2. i: The Dark Existence

_Meh, I feel like I wasn't being explicit enough in the prologue, so I decided to write the first chapter on the same day as well. I hope you guys don't mind XD._

**Started on: **11-26-10

**Summary: **Something—even though it was so small—happened to Sasuke during his curse mark transition from Orochimaru, and now the brooding teenager is now transforming in front of their eyes for everyone to see. The bite was a success, yes, but the only flaw is that for some reason the possessed Sasuke has a newfound interest in Sakura, who can watch helplessly as he merges with his dark, possessive side, still not sure if she likes it or not.

**Disclaimer: IDNON. Hurrrrrplz. **

**.**

**Of Dark and Light**

**Chapter 1:**

**.**

_The first time he awoke, it was a burst of raw energy, one that he thrived on. He smiled as he clenched his fists, feeling the purple swirls of chakra caressing his tattooed skin. He had paid no attention to her, only focusing on the power. That is, until he saw her hurt._

.

Sakura couldn't believe what was happening right in front of her. Sasuke was standing up front the place he had been lying on. She was ecstatic, but her happy smile turned into a shocked frown as she spotted the weird symbols splayed on his pale skin, the black tattoos burning a bright fire color. His eyes were aflame with crimson, his Sharingan active as he stared straight into her emerald eyes with an emotion that set her stomach swirling on some sort of unreadable emotion.

His skin wasn't dirty with dust or bruises anymore, his skin flawless and pale save for the black flame designs flowing on him. Purple chakra flowed from his own person, his hands clenching into soft fists as they brushed along his cheeks and bare limbs. His hair seemed to ruffle microscopically as the energy pulsed, the mark on his shoulder stopping itself from moving as the marks darkened.

His red eyes scrutinized her, recognizing her within several seconds.

.

"_Sakura," The dark being whispered inside Sasuke, perking up at the sight of her, though becoming angered once it saw the state she was in, her eye darkening with bruises lining her face, blood smeared all over her face. It was furious now, feeling a surge of power burning within itself. It was out for blood now._

.

"Sakura," He said clearly—_darkly—_with a thin lipped mouth. "Who did this to you?"

The pinkette could not answer the ravenette, wide-eyed and scared at the sight of her crush possessed by some sort of shady power. She didn't like the way his Sharingan pierced through her, as if he could see right through her, or the way they roved around her body, scanning her. Her body was shivering, though Sasuke merely thought it was the cold, and he encouraged her roughly, "Just point them out, Sakura."

"I did it," A cocky sound nin proclaimed with a smirk.

Bad move.

Sasuke flickered his red eyes at the voice, his face slowly turning to his direction, clicking into place robotically as he glared at him in full force. His malice grew worse enough that the Uchiha could taste it on his tongue.

"S-sasuke-kun," Sakura started shakily. "Wha- t-those marks…"

He glanced at her.

.

_The dark being felt its chest clench uncomfortably as it poked it in confusion. It didn't know what this feeling was, but staring back into Sakura's frightened emerald eyes, it realized it did not like her being afraid of him._

.

"Don't worry," Sakura felt her shoulder ease at the sound of his rumbling, soft tone. "This man… he gave me power. And it feels… great." When she looked back into his eyes, she was surprised at the curious emotion that seeped through his expression. He almost seemed like he didn't know her—or better yet, like he just met her for the first time, inquiring with his eyes about her unique eyes or strange hair color. The transformed boy in front of her that was supposed to be monstrous was eying her softly, in a way that made her forget about his murderous intent.

"I understand it now," He muttered, feeling the fog carry around him. "I am an avenger. Even if I have to eat the devil's fruit, I will do so to gain power."

Sasuke didn't even realize that there were other people around, not even Rookie 9, when he set his sights on the three Sound Nin: Zaku, Kin and Dosu. "Now…" He grit his teeth, his eyes half-lidded as the chakra around him waved off in response to his growing anger. "It was you guys, right?" The purple smoke flared up behind him, as if it were a forest fire, every living thing it was touching shivering and moving out of the way of its path in fear.

His gaze was locked as soon as he set sights on them. He could faintly hear some of the genin he had enrolled in the Academy with, but he pushed them out. The one girl from the Sound groaned out, blood dripping from her lip, causing him to clench his teeth.

.

_The being roared out inside of Sasuke's conscious. How dare she act like she's in pain when it was Sakura who took the most beating out of all of them? She had merely been nicked, as where the pinkette had cuts littering her arms and bruises on her arms! It was furious, and, with this fueling emotion, granted its full power and malice to Sasuke._

.

The black flames on his face—once drawn all over one half of his cheeks and nose—was now moving, drifting over to the other half as they covered his head fully now. His expression was absolutely livid, his sharp teeth snapped tightly together and his eyes narrowing dangerously at the trio. The spiky haired one merely smirked in response, where as the other two watched warily, the clothed one seemed the most scared.

"His chakra is too much!" The masked one yelled out.

"Heh," The other laughed, clapping both of his hands together. "Dosu! You don't need to be so scared of this half-dead freak!"

Sasuke watched on emotionlessly, observing his opponent's movements carefully with his bloodline trait. Dosu shouted back at the boy, Zaku, "No Zaku! Don't you realize-"

Zaku paid him no heed, swinging his arms in front of him towards Sasuke's direction.

Sasuke could feel it coming and glanced at Sakura's shocked face, one that seemed to be looking straight at death in the face. She glanced back at the slumbering blonde behind them both, and the raven knew what he had to do.

.

"_Protect her," The dark being whispered, not very sure why he had a connection with this girl, but feeling something towards her nonetheless. "Protect Sakura."_

.

"Ultimate Zankuuha!"

Splinters and dust twisted into a tornado as a large wind blast shot at Team 7, the forest in front of them breaking and cracking until the environment was unintelligible. Everyone ducked in instinct, hands at their ears as the ground rumbled from the large rupture. The speed and strength was sheer, think tree branches snapping off likes twigs while boulders flew into the air as if they were the tiniest of pebbles. Zaku was smiling toothily, his cruelty at its peak when he stopped the wind in his arms to spy the art in front of him.

"Heh, I've blown him away!" Zaku claimed when he didn't see Sasuke or the pink haired girl from earlier in his eyesight.

"Blown who away?"

The Sound ninja didn't have the time to reply back when Sasuke instantly appeared at his left, his fist back-handing him as he swung it effortlessly. The punch connected with Zaku's cheek, sending him reeling back several meters. "GAH!" He coughed, his body tumbling into the earth harshly.

Sakura, on the other hand, looked up at awe of her teammate's sudden boost of speed and power. How had he been able to pick both her and Naruto up so quickly, and then deposit them right where they were now, on the opposite side of the clearing? Moreover, she couldn't help but feel terrified.

Sasuke only had one thing on his mind, and that was to beat up this 'Zaku' so much that his own parents wouldn't be able to tell it was their own child. He had to pay for what had happened to Sakura; he would get a beating ten times worse than hers.

Snapping his hands together into a familiar hand sign and breathing in so deeply that his cheeks puffed up, he blew out hurtling fire balls, yelling out, "Housenka no Jutsu!"

Zaku blew his air at them, only to scream in pain when shuriken tore through him when the fire dissipated and revealed them underneath the flames. Dosu's eyes widened when Sasuke was suddenly below his teammate, "Zaku! Below you!"

The boy glanced down in surprise, only to find no one there, "Wha-" He froze when something pressed against the juncture of his back and pulled his arms tightly. "Ugh!" He moaned at the sharp pain in his shoulders.

Sasuke smirked cruelly, loving to see his enemy in pain and at his mercy, though he won't get any. The smile grew on his dark face, his eyes big with joy, dancing at the sight of Zaku cringing underneath him. Oh, he would feel pain soon. He wouldn't be able to look him straight in the eyes after this without squirming in fear, and he liked it when his prey was afraid.

"You seem very proud of your arms," Sasuke laughed, tugging at them in experimentation as Zaku cried out. Sakura watched this, sensing tears burning in her eyes, the memory of that man, Orochimaru, proclaiming that the Uchiha would seek him for power very, very soon.

.

"_RIP OFF HIS ARMS!" The dark shadow howled in demented laughter, basking in Zaku's pain and fear. "RIP THEM OFF!" _

.

"AHHHHHHH!"

Sakura felt the glassy tears in her eyes cascading down her dirtied cheeks when Sasuke stomped his foot sharply on Zaku's back and yanked his arms upward, a sickening snap echoing the murky forest. Satisfied at the agony he caused, the Konoha genin threw the Sound nin to the floor carelessly, smiling when he flopped on his face and bit into the earthy floor.

The rest of Rookie Nine had their eyes wide in horror as Sasuke turned around, hiding their faces away from him in fear that he would attack them for any reason. The purple chakra had stopped flowing since it was now in use, but that didn't negate to any of his harsh features gained from the curse mark. He was grinning uncontrollably, his mouth open in silent laughter and happiness as he searched with his Sharingan for his next victim. When they landed on an immediately scared Dosu, he stated, "You're the only one left…"

The pink-haired girl helplessly observed as he strolled away from her to the last Sound ninja. He tilted his head to the left, his eyes glazed over with a twisted emotion as he said, "I hope you put up a better fight than this pathetic idiot."

She clawed at the dirt, fingers bleeding slightly. This… This wasn't her Sasuke-kun!

Flashes of a smirking, emotionless raven boy filed through her mind, all of her memories used as she chronologically found each and every emotion he portrayed. He was merely carefree, determined, but this… He wasn't bloodthirsty! Where was her Sasuke-kun!

"STOPP!" She yelled out, salt water spilling from her eyes as she opened her arms to the Uchiha boy whose back was turned to her. When her arms encircled him, he halted in his tracks and stiffened greatly. Sasuke faced her, the tint in his eyes malicious as his Sharingan pierced through her.

For a moment, a long silence followed, one that was much worse than the hurtful insults that her crush would throw at her, so she pleaded again when he didn't move or say anything more, "Please… just, stop…"

.

_The dark being stopped its cheering and flow of power, confused at Sakura's tear-filled pleas. Why was she begging him to stop? Didn't she like the sight of her enemies in pain, all hindrances being pushed aside? Why didn't she like him protecting her, for Zaku and Dosu to feel her pain? She didn't like it?_

_She wanted him to stop?_

.

She poured out her tears, burying her face into his shoulders. Why wasn't he responding to her?

"Is that… what you truly wish for?"

Sakura, fully surprised, looked straight at Sasuke's emotionless—yet soft, oh so soft—face, his eyes half-lidded as he stared her down in question. She held her breathe at the tenderness of his expression, his jaw unclenched, lips pursed in deep thought. Gulping, she nodded, shakily proclaiming, "Yes yes, please stop… You're scaring me…"

She was terrified that he would turn on her angrily for saying such a thing, half expecting him to throw her off and attack her as well, but was surprised when he faced her fully, his dark bangs tickling her numb cheeks. He was so, so close… and as he leaned in dazed, the tattoos were attractive for a second as his Sharingan eyes scanned her face closely, pondering momentarily…

"As you wish."

Emerald pools widened when the dark marks receded up his arms up to the fleshy place where his shoulder and neck met, where the curse mark resided. They didn't glow like real flames as they had when he has first awoken. Instead they quietly trailed up his flesh, a small, gurgling sound created as they travelled upwards. Once they were gone, Sasuke's brow furrowed as he cried out, "Ah!" He fell over into Sakura's arms, and the pinkette, unable to catch him fully without falling over, tumbled down onto the floor. "Mph!" She groaned when his elbow pushed on her sore abdomen, his weight tolled all onto her.

Dosu gathered his teammates when the two shifted and sat up from where they fell. "You're too strong for us," He said, showing them his scroll as he neatly placed it on the forest ground. "Here's our scroll, please let us leave." He made a move to vanish with his teammates, about to leap up into the forest's branches.

"W-wait!" Sakura called out, startling Sasuke for a moment. "What did Orochimaru do to Sasuke-kun! Why him?"

Dosu seriously turned towards her, his tone sincere, "I don't know. We only had orders to kill Sasuke." The pinkette took in the information silently, letting Dosu finally leave into the canopies and other exotic vegetation.

After the excitement the rest of the Konoha genin tumbled out, yelling out unintelligible things to each other as they crowded around their own teams. Sakura stared at Sasuke who was clutching his arm, his hand moving slightly in spasms. The Uchiha swallowed thickly, peering at his appendage thinking to himself, _'What… what was that power?'_

Meanwhile, Sakura was breathing heavily from the event that she had experienced, the injuries taking a toll on her fragile body while her mind was reeling with questions. Why had Sasuke acted so out of character? It was because of that mark, but she was sure that he would have pushed her away from the power it gave him, and that she was blocking his goal. But instead he had done what she had said, and claimed, "As you wish". What had he meant? And… was that really her Sasuke-kun? Or was this… the Curse Mark Sasuke?

She shakily sighed, rubbing her temples in pain. Sasuke noticed this and glanced at her curiously. He paused, raising an eyebrow for a second. He was… confused… and curious, but about what? And what had happened just moments ago? Everything was such a blur… he remembered fighting those Sound ninja, but it felt so surreal. He was aware and in control of his own movements, yes, but he was so fueled with the task that it felt like a current was flowing his actions. He also remembered…

_Protect Sakura._

He slightly pouted, glancing around in question when he heard a deep chuckle near him. When he only saw bustling, harmless genin in their chaotic messes, he shrugged it off, huffing.

.

_The being was silent before it leaned back a little. The pink-haired girl had been so happy when he receded, her tears immediately disappearing. It learned another thing today: he didn't like it when she cried. It liked it better when she was happy, innocent and ignorant of danger._

_That's why it decided from that day forth, it had another goal besides power and revenge. It would protect this girl, since she was the only one that plagued its—and now its host's—mind, all the while giving its host, Sasuke's, want of power. She would be theirs, and no one else's._

_This girl, Sakura… the shadow being was curious about her. She was determined to protect her loved ones when on the battlefield, yet she was sad to see someone lose themselves to power when they fought. It rifled through its hosts memories and found out much more about her. To him, she was weak and annoying, which meant two things to the being._

_It hated weaklings, the being, but being connected to this pinkette meant one thing. It could make its host strong by sending him its own power, but the pinkette didn't have him. That would mean he would have to watch her often. As for annoying…the being saw that Sasuke didn't have that many negative memories of her as 'annoying', but several heartwarming ones. That made her all the more interesting._

_The being smiled as its host and the girl sat next to each other, its host oblivious to its existence while the girl was eying him curiously, almost as she were waiting for him to pop out._

_They—the being and Sasuke—would be obedient for her only, granting her the wishes she wanted, giving her the impossible. _

_But to anyone else…_

_They would have to be eliminated._

.

WOOOOO! That was pretty good wasn't it? I'm excited about this plot! :D

Wahhh, so far as I know I only got 2 reviews. *pouts* Probably because I posted a prologue and they usually pull people away when they read them, and also because it's the first day. I should be patient… *puffs up cheeks*

Review please! I don't know how this'll fit into my updating and writing schedule, but it's mainly up to you guys! If I don't that many reviews then it'll probably take a while! I'll even make this my second main story… XD.

I have NO IDEA when I'll update next, but it'll mainly add up to how many reviews I get. *winks* I hope you guys are interested in this like my other story The Playboy's Bestfriend.

How about this… I'll update soon after I get like… ten to fifteen more reviews on this chapter, mattering how popular this will be. If it's ten and it doesn't go up for days then, well, I'll just update four to five days later or so.

REVIEW PLEASE!

**~CiiCiinREX.**

**Date Ended: 11-26-10; 9:17 PM.**


	3. ii: The Call for Power

_Hmmm, I see most of you are excited for this story like I am:) I'm glad you guys are! Finally, I can make a SasuSaku fic about Sasuke's cursed seal. I'm actually surprised no one else made one before me. Oh well, their loss XD_

_This might be a little darker or creepier than most of the other stories I write, so please try to bear with me. I blame Sasuke XD_

**Started on:**11-26-10

**Summary:**Something—even though it was so small—happened to Sasuke during his curse mark transition from Orochimaru, and now the brooding teenager is now transforming in front of their eyes for everyone to see. The bite was a success, yes, but the only flaw is that for some reason the possessed Sasuke has a newfound interest in Sakura, who can watch helplessly as he merges with his dark, possessive side, still not sure if she likes it or not.

**Disclaimer: IDNON. Hurrrrrplz.**

**.**

**Of Dark and Light**

**Chapter 2:**

**.**

Sasuke panted, slamming his shin into the tree once more, feeling the thick bone hit hard yet not break due to years of sheer practice. His foot swiveled into the dewy grass, the liquid seeping into his open-toe shoes as he rocker-shuffled across the ground, eyes solely on his target. Swallowing with his dehydrated throat, he huffed, intensely staring at the worn log in his sights as he sent another front-right roundhouse kick, feeling a slight burn on his skin. The early sun peeked from his left, the reds, purples, yellows and oranges blending into the dark green vegetation, contrasting in the dark blue sky that was lightening slowly but surely. His breath puffed up a white fog in the frosty air, shivering slightly as his hot temperature all over his body welcomed the relief. The dark shirt with the famous Uchiha insignia clung to his flesh which was coated in a sleek layer of sweat and water. His eyes burned a bit from the salty liquid penetrating into his eyes, but didn't bother in wiping them away. In a real fight if he did so, he would find himself lying on his back, knife pressed at his throat and enemy on top, and then bleeding to death only a second later. Sasuke couldn't afford that; he needed power.

It has been about a week after the preliminary Chuunin exams, since the event concerning Orochimaru and his new curse mark. Absentmindedly he reached to rub the spot, only to wince at the sensitive flesh. Even after the intense had subsided, the junction between his neck and his shoulder had only gotten more responsive to every little thing that touched it, from jumping when someone lightly taps him to ripping away when they clamp down on his shoulder. Fortunately, nobody seemed to notice the change in him, shrugging it off as something the anti-social, physical hating Uchiha would normally do and perceive that it has something to do with hormones and his teenage years.

Taking a slight pause and glancing at the horizon, panting with his hands on his knees, he noted the light pink shade that dominated the sunrise currently.

Pink…

_Sakura…_

She had been acting out of character since the Chuunin exams, she seemed to only be interested in watching him from a distance curiously as if he would transform into something fascinating and fly off, though she did approach him for the frequent 'hellos' and 'how are yous' and 'do you want to go out sometimes'. He did notice her asking him out for dates has dissipated and she had gotten quieter, which worries him a bit, although he wouldn't prod her. He couldn't help but think about that event before the writing portion of the exams…

_She looked so depressed, so out of it than usual, and it bothered him deeply. He turned his attention to her when she greeted him casually without a loving tone, but with more of a dreading one. He narrowed his dark eyes when the pinkette faced Naruto, noting the way a sweat drop cascaded down her pale cheek microscopically and the way her throat bobbed up and down, her emerald cat-eyes flickering back and forth to the things around the Uchiha. She never set her orbs completely on his form, which confused Sasuke greatly._

_But, being the great Uchiha prodigy he is, he made a legitimate hypothesis: She was nervous that something would happen to her during the Chuunin exams, being the weakest link of the team. She had only started acting this way when they received their papers from Kakashi, falling back as they moved forward and daydreaming during their walks. _

"_Stop fooling around," He announced once they made their way to the sliding door that was guarded by two Chuunin nins, and a large crowd filling the small, narrow hallway. Everyone snapped their heads at the sound of his baritone voice, girls slightly swaying as he glared at the two arrogant-looking sentries. "We need to get to the third floor."_

_He registered the whispers of "What is he talking about, this is the third floor?" and "Is this guy crazy?", but all he could see when he glanced back was his teammate's lowered gaze, her emerald eyes like an open window to her emotions and soul where he could delve into her current feelings, and now all he could see was a gloomy, cloudy setting, as if threatening to rain in despair. Biting back his pride to himself, he asked, "You saw it too, right Sakura?"_

"_Huh?" She blinked and looked up at him, curious to hear him say her name and thoughtful when he sent her a crooked smirk. _

"_You always had the best genjutsu skills on our team, so you must have noticed," Sasuke continued as Sakura's eyes widened, before softening to a light, meadow green as she internally thanked him._

"_Of course I did," She grinned, her self-esteem boosted and worries washed away. She never noticed Sasuke's hidden smirk underneath his bangs, or the twitch at his lips that would have made that half-smile into a full blown beam._

She had brightened up so quickly at that time, and he had been so proud that he was the one would had the power to make her snap back up into action with just a few words of encouragement. Cockily, he thought to himself that Naruto would have made her feel worse in some idiotic mistake of wording his opinion or just making her more violent. Sighing, he stretched his burning, sore muscles, reveling in the sensation of relaxation when the fire lessened underneath his flesh. The perspiration on his pale complexion had evaporated, leaving an itching, cool feeling in its wake.

He shook his head, drops that clung to his long locks flung to the floor as he stared at the sunrise that turned into a bright orange line that reminded him of his other teammate. Once it got to that, Sasuke turned away from the beautiful nature scene in disgust.

Glaring at the log, he thought about the upcoming Chuunin exams that would be the actual battles. He was up against Subaku no Gaara, of the Desert, that one that he wanted to fight in order to prove himself. He was so determined to defeat him, to get more powerful.

But, he was still weak, even right now, as Sasuke grit his teeth. He needed power. To get stronger, to kill his brother. Roaring, he darted towards the log, leaping and twirling in mid-air, cursing when his kick barely made a dent in the wood.

He needed it; _now._

.

_The being stirred inside of Sasuke, reluctantly opening its eyes to its call._

_His host wanted its power. But looking around, he saw that there was no one around to use it on. All his owner was doing was mauling the log and making a dent. Why would he need him now? He'd actually give it to him when he actually needed it._

_It was about to ignore him, and leave him fuming at his weakness—although he was growing to be particularly strong—when the shadow was instantly reminded of its other goal in life._

_Protect Sakura._

_Immediately the being became restless. Sasuke hadn't been keeping tabs on her lately, but its influence seemed to rub off on him since the Uchiha found himself staring at the pinkette from afar, though it wasn't strong enough since it hasn't resided in his body for a long while; only a week or two tops._

_Hesitantly, the being granted his wish—hoping that it would be able to activate its power since the Uchiha's sensei had attempted to seal him after his fight with his preliminary opponent. It took more effort, but the call was successful. _

_The shadow closed its eyes as its power spread throughout Sasuke's body, feeling itself become one with its host._

.

Sasuke let out a shout of surprise when his curse mark pulsed in response to his wish, panicking when he couldn't hold it back and the seal Kakashi had used on him ultimately failed. His hand shot up to his junction, clawing at the strange sensation—he had been getting accustomed to the pain, but now he felt no pain for some reason. Why wasn't it being held back?

He tried to yell out so someone could hear him—he was in the regular training grounds he met with his team—or at least run to his sensei's abode, but he found his body immobile. The Uchiha was shoved to his knees by an unknown force, nearly snarling when he felt the same flow of purple chakra flood through his veins and the tattoos expanding across his flesh. Finding it useless to hold back against it, he relaxed and let it move. As soon as he did that, he force vanished so he could move again, and the strange sensation of pushing and pulling was now a soothing river, trickling inside of his limbs.

Emotionlessly, he stood to his knees, staring at the log that he had been working on for two hours after he woke up early to train. He speed stepped—disappearing only to reappear right in front of the tree, his leg locked into a chamber kicking position in the middle of the air. He was silent, the only sound being the rush of the wind against his body due to his speed, and released all of his power into one kick.

He landed on his feet, the purple chakra flowing around him dissipating into a light swirl around his body, Sharingan eyes never wavering as he turned away from the log when he felt something pull at him. He strolled away as the orange sun's fingers kissed his pale skin, as the log slipped off of its hinges, sliced into half by just one kick.

With the curse mark's power, Sasuke learned that he could do anything, even surpass Naruto.

He didn't know where he was going, but he could only feel one thing.

He needed to check on Sakura.

In a flash, his heel pivoted, and he was gone in a flurry of spring leaves. Winds gently brushed against the trees, having the vegetation gossip about the young Uchiha once he was gone.

.

Sakura yawned as her feet dragged against the dusty road, her body slumped as she made her way to the Yamanaka's flower shop, the one store in Konoha that sold the best flowers which was inhabited by her rival, no less.

The bell jingled as she made her way in, and Ino faced to greet her with a smile, "Welcome-" Her smile faded. "Forehead girl?"

Slyly, the pretty blonde gave her a smug look accompanied by a cold smile, "What can I do for you?"

"I'm here to get some flowers," Sakura rolled her eyes at the obvious reason she could be in a flower shop.

"Ohh, I know what you're trying to do, forehead girl," The blue-eyed girl announced, her grin widening cruelly.

"Huh?"

"You're getting flowers for Sasuke-kun," Sakura fumed as the girl continued. "Well, since you're getting some, I might as well come with you so that you won't make a move on my man."

"_Pig-!" _Sakura seethed through her teeth as the blonde plucked a ripe red rose, the crimson petals pretty against the dull colors, beige, white and light blue, of the store. It would make a hospital room more attractive, and there was no doubt in the Haruno's mind that's one of the many reasons Ino chose a rose.

"A red rose resembles undying, beautiful love," The Yamanaka stated with a smile. "Sasuke-kun would absolutely adore me once I give this to him," She sighed and let her gaze trail to the ceiling, undoubtedly day dreaming of Sasuke thanking her, showering her with kisses and asking her to marry her.

Whilst the blonde was in her own lala-land, Sakura glanced around the store contemplating, beaming once she found a good flower that was simple and held a significant meaning to it. She strolled over to the area, gently pulling the flower from its confines, much slower than how Ino had. Smiling, she said, "A daffodil. This will be perfect; it represents for good will and hope for a downed person to get better soon. The flower stands strong, even in horrible winds and treacherous weather." Sighing, she held the flower close to her cheek in bliss.

"Hmmm? Two flowers Forehead girl?" Ino inquired, her eyes questioning yet piercing at the same time. "If you think that you can beat me by giving Sasuke-kun more flowers than me-"

"It's not just for Sasuke-kun."

"Eh?"

"It's also for Lee-san," The pinkette smiled bitterly at the memory of when he rushed in front of her when those Sound nins came for her teammate. She began to frown when she remembered when Sasuke woke up, the curse mark activated. His Sharingan eyes had been so intent with malice, purple energy breaking the ground around him by its sheer quantity and strength. She recalled how his gaze softened when he turned to her, his red eyes half-lidded and proximity looming close, the chakra around him a melting warmth flowing around them both…

She blushed heavily at the memory, cursing herself for finding a very violent Sasuke attractive.

"Oh," Ino said sullenly, serious at the mention of the taijutsu expert's name but oblivious to Sakura's inner conflict as she began to redden noticeably. "Sakura… About Lee… He…"

Sakura turned to her, her emerald eyes widening with every somber word that tumbled out of the Yamanaka's lips.

.

The two rivals silently walked together in the direction of the hospital, the sun high in the air as activity rushed around the two, stores bustling with people as owners claimed the positives of their products. Loving canines barked as they danced around the crowd, small toddlers giggling as they chased after their pets, their mothers smiling softly as they watched their children happily play. Sakura halted when one of the pairs ran in front of her path, only to have the mom reprimand the little boy to not run in front of people when they are walking. Ino sent Sakura an amused glance, but didn't smile when she caught the serious glint in her cat-eyes.

Soon enough, around noon, they arrived at the hospital, strolling through the open doors as they stopped at the front desk, the excitement of the village lessening in the serious atmosphere of the building. The receptionist smiled politely, "Hello Sakura-san! Here to visit Sasuke-kun with your friend?"

"Yes," The pinkette affirmed just as politely as she nodded. "I'm also here to visit Lee-san."

"Alright," The older brunette flipped through the book that held the where-abouts of every patient held in the hospital. "Sasuke-san is still in his same room, but Lee-san's room number is 204."

"Thank you," The pinkette acknowledged.

"Here, I'll show you to Sasuke-san's room first," The nurse smiled as she left her desk to lead the two genin to their crush's room.

They winded through the long, grey halls of the hospital, Ino's glimmering eyes flickering back and forth to memorize the path that would lead her to her 'love' while Sakura was emerged in her deep thoughts, more worried about the events that had led up to Sasuke's residing in the hospital. The Haruno already knew the way to his room, she didn't really know why the nurse would lead her there, but she was glad since she would most likely become lost as she trailed around the building absentmindedly without a destination.

Soon enough, she found herself outside of his room with Ino at her side, the nurse opening the door to his room, "Sasuke-kun, you have visitors."

Silence greeted them as the nurse smiled nervously at the brooding boy in the bed, his face hidden underneath his long, midnight bangs that contrasted against the white room and sheets. The older brunette nodded at the two girls, "Take as long as you want, but please do not be too rough with him physically because he is still recovering. Also, be quiet for there are other patients around here sleeping."

"Of course," The Yamanaka nodded, her smile large when she learned she would be with her Sasuke alone. All she needed was for Sakura to leave to visit Lee and she would be ecstatic and alone with him.

Sakura said nothing, eyeing the unmoving Uchiha in his bed. She shivered at a familiar surge of power in the air, emerald orbs widening when her memories lead her to the Forest of Death. No, she told herself, the Curse Mark shouldn't be activated. Kakashi had assured her that it wouldn't be a problem anymore. His reassurances dropped low in her stomach as she spotted the familiar black flame prints splayed on his beige arms that were evenly laid in front of his figure. Ino didn't seem to notice anything out of the ordinary as she jumped up and down in excitement once the nurse left.

"Sasuke-kun!" The blonde sang, skipping over to his side. The pinkette was rooted to her position, but hesitantly and cautiously made her way to his bed. "I got you a flower! A red rose," The girl wiggled her platinum blonde eyebrows suggestively. "The flower that represents true, beautiful love."

Sasuke said nothing, nor did he move an inch at Ino's voice. His aura, however, seemed to darken, but she didn't notice. With a smug smile sent a glaring Sakura's way, she reached over Sasuke's bed in order to get his attention, reached the flower over to the vase's direction on the other side. "I'll just put it over in this vase."

Originally, Ino had done this so that he would look at her since she was blocking his vision, but she began to stomp her feet microscopically when he didn't respond. Huffing, she stepped back a little as Sakura strolled over to his side nervously.

"H-hello Sasuke-kun," Sakura greeted anxiously as she fingered her daffodil. Swallowing down her leaping heart, she casually greeted with a smile, "How are you doing?"

Sasuke picked up his head slightly as soon as she opened her mouth, his aura lightening slightly as he moved. Slowly, his face was shown fully, the tattoos now very noticeable all over his face. His Sharingan was deactivated since he wasn't fighting anyone, but his onyx eyes had a crimson shimmer laid in them. Once his eyes were set on her, they locked on her.

Though he moved, he still did not respond. Ino, on the other hand, fumed when he physically replied when it was _Sakura_ who spoke and not _her_. The blonde seemed to let her anger go once she noticed the tattoos on his skin, glancing at them in perplexity.

Sakura was terrified. She was sure that the curse mark was sealed so that it wouldn't be activated! What happened? Sasuke was slumping in his bed, but the way his eyes locked on her figure—even if she stepped a few steps away his gaze still followed her sharply, even if she averted her eyes, she would look up to see that he was still staring at her—the way his spiky hair seemed to sharpen due to his dangerous outlook, the way his emotionless façade seemed curious about her just sent chills down her spine. The look he was giving her was equivalent to the way he had watched her in the Forest of Death, during his first transformation. His lips were set into a tight line as they did not lower into a frown or lift into a friendly smile.

His eyes trailed her as she made her way to the bedside table that held the vase, her flower gently lowered into the awaiting water. She needed to act normal so that Ino wouldn't find out or become suspicious. The curse mark tattoos would be unavoidable to notice, but that didn't mean that she should act different so that the blonde would question her.

"I-I see you're getting better," The Haruno smiled, her eyes closed tightly in fear of the person in front of her. Sasuke's lips lowered into a frown, which made the girl panic more as he observed her more intensely.

Sighing out most of her fright, she smiled, taking a seat next to him. Gulping, she did what she usually did when she visited. She wrapped her arms around him in greeting, and Sasuke stiffened underneath her hold like he always did, but relaxed after a few seconds. She caught Ino's outraged expression and stuck out her tongue at her, as if this Sasuke was still the normal one that wasn't violent, as if the boy she hugged were still the one she loved.

.

_The being felt its chest leap and lighten when the girl wrapped her arms around his form. At first it was alert—physical contact for the shadow usually meant that the person would harm the host—but let its guard down once it realized that she usually did this in greeting to Sasuke as it filed through its host's memories._

_For the first time in its creation—and for the first time in Sasuke's life after the massacre—they felt warmth. One that they both would cherish, fight for, and never let go._

.

After a few moments, Sakura ended the hug, making Sasuke grunt once her heat left his body. The pinkette gave him a wavering smile as the curse mark activated Uchiha stared at her curiously, "W-well, I'm off. I have to go visit Lee-san before visiting hours are over."

Behind her, Ino snickered. "Forehead girl! How could you, you two-timer? You're pursuing Lee even though you say you love Sasuke-kun?"

Sakura ignored her, but caught the way her teammate seemed to narrow his eyes at the mention of Lee's name. Abruptly, she stood up and made her way through the door, sliding it silently as she bid the two farewells.

Ino grinned at the moment worthy of reveling in; she was alone with Sasuke-kun! No more distractions, no more forehead girls.

"Sasuke-kun!" The Yamanaka sang as she skipped back to his bed, only to have her eyes widen when she saw the empty bed, the sheets neatly folded as if he wasn't there. She cursed, pouting and plopping back in her stool as she realized her chance was gone. Though, she did wonder how he was able to leave so quietly and swiftly. Only jonin had the ability to do that.

How powerful had he really gotten…?

.

Sakura power-walked her way through the hospital, making her way to the front entrance where she would exit. She inwardly apologized to Lee. She wasn't actually going to visit him, she was going to Kakashi to inform him that Sasuke's curse mark had activated yet again. She merely said that so that Ino wouldn't question her leaving, and since she had been planning to visit him already she decided that using that excuse would be a good way to leave suddenly.

The pinkette started to run as soon as she made her first step outside, filing through her mind to recall where her sensei's home was as she made a shortcut into the forest. The trees whispered as she darted through the woods, dodging incoming trunks of vegetation as she decided not to jump on the tree branches.

She brightened when she remembered where he exactly resided, making a sharp turn in the direction where she vaguely recalled, only to gasp when she felt something slam into her side, sending her world swirling above her, the ground becoming the air as it circled around. Blue, green and brown merged as she spun in the mid-air violently. She shut her eyes as she prepared herself for the pain of landing on either her back, stomach or side, but felt her stomach twirl when she felt herself hover before being settled on the grass softly.

Confused, she opened her eyes only to have the emerald orbs enlarge. Her eyes met crimson, flaring ones that spun swiftly. Sasuke loomed above her in the mount position, her legs on either side of him as his lower stomach brushed against hers. She attempted to move her hands, only to glance at her hands to see that he had successfully pinned her by brute strength. She could only move her fingers and curl her hand into a fist. Gulping down air in her dry throat, she slowly made solid eye contact with the snarling Uchiha above her.

Once she stared into his Sharingan, she let out a terrified scream that echoed in the small woods, undoubtedly heard in the village.

.

Ohhhh, suspenseful. XD

OMG, I woke up at 3:30 PM this morning. WTF? I only slept at 1:00 AM, and I usually only sleep for 9 hours at the most! I slept half the day away! That means I only woke up 3 hours ago. It could be only noon right now, but nooo. Stupid body. -_-

How do you guys like this so far? I actually like it:)

Please review! I'll update after I update my other story, and once I get **15 + 10 = 25 reviews. If you guys give me 30 or 35 reviews, I'll make the chapter more descriptive and longer:)**

See you guys later! I'm glad you're all interested in this!

~CiiCiinREX.

**Date Ended: 12-5-10; 6:40 PM.**


	4. iii: His Passion and Her Fear

_WHOOOAAA, haha, I got twice as much reviews I originally had XD. I love your reviews, but please, don't be afraid of giving me constructive feedback. Sure, at first I may be hurt and look away from the message, but that's only because I started to post some of my recent stories online. I'll get used to it won't I? _

_I think I'll just work on this chapter until I attempt to write more on my other story. I think I need to write down my thoughts for this story first._

**Started on:**12-7-10

**Summary:**Something—even though it was so small—happened to Sasuke during his curse mark transition from Orochimaru, and now the brooding teenager is now transforming in front of their eyes for everyone to see. The bite was a success, yes, but the only flaw is that for some reason the possessed Sasuke has a newfound interest in Sakura, who can watch helplessly as he merges with his dark, possessive side, still not sure if she likes it or not.

**Disclaimer: IDNON. Hurrrrrplz.**

**.**

**Of Dark and Light**

**Chapter 3:**

**.**

_It was furious, the being to be exact._

_Who was this Lee person…? The one that the annoying blonde—Ino was her name, Sasuke's mind was filled with irritating memories of her, and his mood had made the being's aura much darker when she began to insistently flirt with him—claimed that the pinkette loved, even when she loved him?_

_There was one thing that the shadow did not like, and that was sharing its possessions. It did not like sharing its host, Sasuke, with anyone—the exception of the Haruno for special reasons, of course—and it sure as hell wouldn't share the girl they had just claimed as their own. _

_Not now, not ever._

.

"Say it," He snarled, pressing his fingers deep into her wrists that were shaking from her dangerously rapid pulse. His red eyes narrowed down at her as she swallowed and opened her mouth again for another scream. Snarling, he silenced her with his angry roar, picking up her wrists and lightly slamming them into the ground as an emphasis. "SAY IT!"

"I don't…" She trailed off, tears leaking out as she squirmed underneath his looming, dark presence. The sun above them was ominously covered by the grey clouds, making his skin seem like a shadow with his curse mark tattoos covering every inch of his once pale flesh, his dark bangs dripping all over his face as if it were black tar. His Sharingan flashed, spinning several times swiftly as his mouth clenched together, his canines showing perfectly as his jaw hung out as his face was merely inches away from her own, **"SAKURA, SAY IT!"**

"Don't hurt me!" She cried out, effectively stunning the Uchiha as he stared at the sobbing, frightened girl under him. Her pink hair was splayed all over the grassy ground, popping out in contrast as her emerald eyes shimmered with fear and threats of bursting water. The red dress the clung to her skinny body was sprinkled with dust and grass stains, her fragile body trembling below his own, and he felt the tremors in his lower torso as it was pressed up against her own in their mount position. She flinched as soon as she shouted out those words, sinking lower into the ground. "P-please don't Sasuke-kun… This isn't you!"

"…" His swirling red eyes pierced through her figure as she shivered, avoiding his gaze by having her eyes dart to all directions, landing on everything but him. His kekkei genkai had the ability to zoom in on one's position and predict accurately what would happen next.

He watched the way her chest rose and deflated several times a second, how she evaded his eyes, the way sweat drops cascaded down her pale-stricken face and how her hands shook underneath his own, tight grasp. Colors vividly brightened with his ocular power, her crimson dress and rosy hair popping out against her peach tone flesh, as well as her bloodshot eyes. Fear rolled off of her in waves, crashing against him emotionally each times it became stronger and stronger the more he was still above her.

.

_The being was hurt, and so was Sasuke. They had let their anger get a hold of themselves, and now they had hurt their Sakura, and it wasn't even her fault. They shouldn't hurt her, even if it _was _her fault. She did not deserve pain in any shape or form._

_Feeling guilty, they jumped back into action._

.

"Sakura," Sasuke gruffly stated, making the girl flinch and whimper. His eyes softened as he patted her cheek softly, dropping one of her limp wrists and rubbing her smooth skin with his rough palm, "Just say it."

"S-say what?" She gulped nervously, still avoiding his eyes. She did not trust Sasuke in any shape or form whenever his curse mark was activated ever since the incident in the Forest of Death. Just recalling how he had treated that Sound nin, Zaku, was purely terrifying, and Sasuke just being unpredictable in the way he treats her would mean she would have to watch her back 24/7 to make sure the boy she loves doesn't maul her or anyone she was remotely close to.

"Say that you're mine," He said, the dark marks on his face shifting around as if it were reacting to his anticipation. He leaned in closer, causing the pinkette to close her eyes as the growled near her ear, albeit a bit angry, "Say that you'll never leave me for another; say that you'll stay by my side."

.

_Say that you love me, a part of Sasuke cried out, though it was unheard and unseen underneath the large, symbiotic existence and Sasuke's raging, fuzzy mind as he acted without thinking. Though the host did not hear it clearly, the being heard it as it echoed around itself and frowned in wonder, his anger decreasing slowly._

.

Sakura swallowed loudly, a big, dry lump in her throat refusing to go down, and Sasuke observed the way her throat moved in interest. For some reason now, whenever he was near other boys or flirty girls, all he wanted to do was wring their neck, claw at it until they bleed profusely like a faucet being turned on and watch in fascination as red coated his pale hands. He didn't know why he felt so malicious, so bloodthirsty… He assumed it had something to do with his need for power… With her however, all he wanted to do to her neck was to hide his face into it and breathe in her sweet scent. It was confusing and a bit nauseating to the whirling Uchiha, to say the least. And although he was puzzled on way he was acting this way—to Sakura, his annoying teammate no less—he could not bring himself to tear himself away until he heard those words flow from her mouth.

"I-is that what you want?" She finally asked as she squirmed when he drew his face nearer a few inches. Nearly jumping in surprise and knocking them both over when his nose gently trailed to the junction of her neck, she heard him grunt out, "Yes." Normally, she would have been ecstatic had it been in a different, more peaceful scenario, but this was not the boy she loved, so she could not bring it in herself to enjoy it, especially because of the way his eyes flashed so evilly when he demanded her to do such and such.

Sasuke inhaled, and then sighed in contentment. Hazily, he realized, she smelled of fresh honey-crisp apples and spring sakura blossoms. He didn't want to move from the spot he was currently in, nuzzling deeper as his warm breathed puffed in the mild summer-fall air, his face hidden. He felt all worries and anger disappear the moment his head was buried into her shoulder, his warm body covering hers.

The Haruno, however, was on edge, worrying that if she made the slightest movement it would mean more yelling and pain—and the ever looming threat of death that seemed to roll off the Uchiha whenever he was in this state to anyone—to herself. She felt very awkward, so she cleared her throat, "O-okay…" She sighed shakily, relaxing a little when she peered down and saw crimson eyes stare at her, not angrily or maliciously but reverently, Sasuke's face alert for the words that would process through his head. She just wanted Sasuke to go back to normal. Her wrists still throbbed where he had squeezed so tightly, slamming them down, almost making the bones in them break.

"I-I'm yours, Sasuke-kun… I'll never leave you, and I'll always stay by your side…" It was hard for her to say those exact words, but she had no idea why. They always came easily whenever she greeted him in the morning whilst waiting for Kakashi with Naruto fuming in the background. Usually, he would shrug off her words or merely stare off to the side, so for him to demand her to say them again just threw her off.

Visibly, he relaxed, his clenched jaw and hard eyes softening as much as the influenced Uchiha allowed them. "Good." He said, placing his ear near her heart, listening to the quick _ba-bump-ba-bump-ba-bump _in her chest, furrowing his brows. He picked up his head to see a sweating Sakura evading his eyes, subconsciously rubbing her wrists. She was still afraid of him, and the event that just occurred probably just worsened it.

.

_The being was not aware that its thoughts and desires were beginning to mix with its owner's, although it seemed that each of their wants had something in common that they would strive for very soon. Sasuke, also, seemed to be oblivious as he thrived off of his ranging emotions and desires._

_She was still of afraid of them, they noted shamefully, both feeling a clenching feeling in their gut as they spotted the unshed tears peeking through her eye rims. _

_The two promised to make her comfortable with her; they swore it to each other mentally._

.

Sakura held her breath when she felt him curl his fingers around her wrist, sitting up a bit in order to have a better view. Still, she lay on the forest floor, never speaking or moving, only hoping that someone would come by and save her—and Sasuke, as well, from his curse mark form. He shot her a look that told her to lean up more, and she hesitantly obliged, wincing when he lightly clenched her wrists.

The darkly-tattooed Uchiha let his gaze fall on her wrists—he did not know his own strength he presumed. They were mostly red, but now they were taking on a shade of purple from his violent thrashing on her limbs. The bones were still in tact, he thanked whoever was up there in heaven, but they were on the very edge of, bent a tad in a funny angle. Reluctantly, he pressed his fingers into the bone, hearing a slight snap and a silent cry from Sakura. When he did so to the other, she was silent, gnawing at her lip with her front teeth. Gulping, she pleaded quietly for someone to come by and notice her and her out-of-mind teammate.

Peering up at the girl, he announced, "Calm down, Sakura. I always protect what is rightfully mine."

The kuniochi's emerald eyes widened in shock, completely forgetting about his curse mark for a moment as she stared at him in wonder. "W-what?"

Before the Uchiha could even answer, his Sharingan swirled a little and he snarled, making Sakura flinch back in surprise. Instantly, he was over her fragile form, his fingers tightly coiled around her shoulders—though not enough to bruise but enough to ensure a sense of safety—his eyes flickering dangerously in a direction behind in front of them. He lowered his body as much as he could, his dark blue shirt covering most of her red dress, almost as in a position that would be similar to a way a male animal protects its mate, or how a mother protects its offspring. Her head was laid on the ground, her pink hair still all over the place as she tried to unwind as much as she could under the growling boy, fixating her eyes on the sky past his shoulder, the cloud still blocking the shining sun.

"I'm afraid that Sakura only belongs to herself," A voice drawled from in front of Sasuke, Sakura letting out a small sigh of relief.

Their sensei came to save the day once again.

The sun peeked out, its bright rays in Sakura's sights as she squinted, the light grey cloud trailing out of her view.

"Sasuke, let go of Sakura and slowly back away," Kakashi said slowly, dropping from the trees as his feet clicked against the soil as he landed. His often cheery exposition was replaced with a serious one, his wise, one eye watching the angry Uchiha tower over his only female student.

Defiantly, Sasuke sneered, his crimson eyes swirling as the older man came closer, step by step, his Sharingan catching the way small amounts of tan dust sifted into the air, before being blown away by an ominous wind. The nearer he got, the more hostile Sasuke became. His teeth was gnashed together into a grimace, his head lowering slowly as if he were about to pounce on the grey-haired shinobi, his hackles raising with every inch that Kakashi dared to close the distance between them.

.

_The shadow was raging; how dare this man come in and order him to get away from Sakura! And how dare he say that she doesn't belong to him! She had just pledged her loyalty to him, and now this old man saunters in and informs him otherwise._

_Did that mean… she belonged to this man—the shadow poked through Sasuke's memories again—Kakashi? Their sensei?_

"_No… no…" It chanted inside Sasuke's mind, clenching its fists, its long nails digging deep into its palms. Flaming fury built itself up from its toes to its scalp, and it finally burst out instantly._

.

"NO!" Sasuke roared, and Kakashi faltered in his step when he glared at the jonin with every fiber of hate in his body. "SHE'S MINE!"

"Sasuke, please calm down-" Kakashi tried to reason with him, but that only riled the boy even more.

"MINE!" Sasuke snarled, the curse mark signs shifting around, the black flames dancing on the Uchiha's skin a dance of hate and death. His Sharingan was now spinning enough that the black and red blurred together beautifully, almost as if they were blending together in a sunset setting. The seal on the junction of his neck was burning a bright reddish-orange color as the tattoos all over his body glowed the same shade. "NO ONE ELSE'S!" Sakura squeaked at his disoriented form above her and the loud volume he produced, curling under him as she trembled in fear.

The grey-haired man cursed under his breath as he scrutinized the rampant boy in front of him. He was sure that his seal on his curse mark would surely hold back its power! How had it failed and fallen weak underneath the artificial power? He mentally jumbled up a plan, but was very apprehensive. He needed to lead Sasuke away from Sakura somehow so that he could effectively fight him, find an opening and knock him out so that he could use a stronger seal on the mark. The Uchiha, however, seemed like he wouldn't move anytime soon from his position, merely sneering in warning as purple chakra whirled around his students' figures. The visible energy clung to Sasuke's pale yet tainted skin, caressing a frozen Sakura's face, and the feral Uchiha stayed in his stiff spot as the man stood still in his.

"Kakashi!" A rough, female voice shouted out as the violet haired girl appeared at his side swiftly, darting out of the trees and planting her feet on the floor. "What the hell is going on?"

He did not answer her, so she trailed her gaze to where he was staring, only to have her eyes widen. The curse mark was free and rampant, and the Uchiha didn't seem to be in the right frame of mind to actually be aware of why he was following out his actions. It was slowly taking connecting with his mind, an animalistic personality displaying freely for the whole world to see.

Sakura was choking on the pure power that crashed wave upon wave that radiated from her teammate's mere presence, though she reveled in it because of its warmth… but she leaned away from it as far as she could as it surrounded her because of the dark negativity she sensed by just feeling the chakra flow into her. It made her blank out and shut out her optimistic mind, only to become a pale, pink-haired doll to be thrown aside in the world. She definitely did not like that, so she resorted to clinging to an inwardly surprised yet smug, furious Sasuke, who kept on glaring at the two adults, daring them to come near and see what he would do.

"The seal, it's broken?" Anko shot at Kakashi, who lifted his hand to his headband that covered his other eye. "How?"

"I don't know," The man said back at her, shifting the metal attire as it clang against the iron on his gloves. "Somehow the curse mark's power was strong enough to leak through the seal, and then find a way to become so strong until my seal completely broke."

Anko grit her white teeth together as she took in the sight of the boy, the purple chakra now violently and swiftly creating a mini-tornado around him and the girl, the sheer energy so strong that as it swirled, it broke the earth underneath the two and the grass shivered away from his power. The Uchiha lowered himself even closer to the girl, his chin brushing against her chest as she whimpered, clutching his shirt tightly.

Why would it act this way?—the curse mark, she meant. She had her own, courtesy of Orochimaru, but it had never reacted this way; never had it made her snap and cling to one of her own teammates or friends. In fact, the curse mark was supposed to make the host feel bitter and have them distance and isolate themselves from others, not target one of their loved ones or people they care about. This was a whole new experience to the second-stage Chuunin proctor. She remembered the feelings she felt under the curse mark's influence as if it only had occurred just yesterday, but she was sure that those emotions never led to what Orochimaru's target was doing in front of her.

"I'll say it one more time," Kakashi warned tersely, adjusting his headband as his one Sharingan eye shone in the bright sunlight. "Get away from her, Sasuke."

"No," Said boy growled, his nails digging into the dirt in anticipation, his limbs craving for a fight where he could tear someone apart. He had so much power and energy packed into his teenage-year-old body and needed something to take it out on. Smirking evilly, he decided a fight would be the best way to let it all out.

The second the smile was there, the two adults blinked and it was instantly gone, having them wonder if they were just seeing things—though Kakashi was sure he saw it with his trained Sharingan eye. Sasuke cursed when he remembered that the second he left Sakura's side, one of the jonins would come a sweep her away from him, both disappearing from his sensing range. He couldn't allow that to happen.

Yes, he was not in the right frame of mind. Yes, he was a little insane. But no, he wasn't stupid. His Uchiha smarts still ran through his mind regardless of how he was behaving, and no one knew how his mind worked and how it thought quickly in just seconds.

He frowned, sneering at the two, when he knew that he had to flee with Sakura so that they both could be safe. _(So that they wouldn't take her away from him.)_

Gathering a stiff Sakura in his arms, he was suddenly side-stepping projectiles flying his way courtesy of a time-productive Anko. His sandals skid across the grass, gathering dust that wore at the sole, swiftly kicking behind him when he felt Kakashi appear behind him, his hand so close to tapping his pressure point and knocking him out. The Uchiha snapped his foot back for a back-stroke kick as the sensei moved to block it, the older man wincing when he felt the raw, physical power the curse mark gave him. His bones rang as Sasuke prepared for another counter, crouching low with Sakura, only to surprise the two when he disappeared into a blur, reappearing in the tree branches.

At this point, Sakura was shouting, "Sasuke, stop! Please, let me down!" But Sasuke didn't care at the moment. All that he was paying attention to was the chakra signatures that were slowly but surely catching up to the two. Normally, with the power he felt in his limbs, he would have used some to dart out at top speed, but he wasn't sure if Sakura would be able to take the heat or the harsh winds that cut against them both.

The rustle of leaves sounded around them, having Sasuke feel the adrenaline pump through his blood. What should he do next? Suddenly fly back and attack them head on? Or just run away at full speed whilst protecting the girl he held in his arms—

"ARG!" Sasuke roared in surprise and pain when Sakura unsuspectingly bit onto hand hard, her teeth most likely leaving a mark. In his shock from the sudden advancement, he had accidently let go of her weight, making Sakura scream as she began to plummet to the forest floor at a dangerous speed.

"SHIT!" He snarled, quickly pivoting his direction, foot smashing against the live wood, panicking when he thought he wasn't going to catch her in time. He saw her swivel in the air, her arms flying and legs kicking as she attempted to catch her momentum, her speed picking up quickly the closer she got to the floor. She got closer and closer as he picked up his pace. His arms stretched out towards her slightly as he prepared his body to catch her.

He would have, if he had not instinctively dodged incoming senbon flying towards him. He leapt to the side, and instantly tried to jump for Sakura, the two only a few meters from the ground.

The pinkette inhaled and exhaled, shutting her eyes tightly as she prepared herself for the pain of her spine breaking against the hard ground at her insane speed. She clenched her teeth as she sensed the incoming distance lessening, but was confused and relieved when she felt large arms catch her when she was just several feet from the floor, just in time.

Opening her eyes slowly when she felt her body stop moving along with the person's, the pinkette let out a shaky sigh, "K-kakashi-sensei…!"

The gray-haired man sent a warm smile under his mask her way, momentarily shutting his eyes for just a moment. "Good to see you too, Sakura."

They were now on the forest's grassy floor, towering trees surrounding them at every angle as it casted long, large shadows that stretched like black cats rousing from their naps. Kakashi set Sakura down, Anko and him keeping a good eye on her, as they all glanced up into the canopies in the trees. He was far away, but they spotted a dark spot hidden in the woods' shade. Sasuke's Sharingan popped out of the dark green and burnt sienna of nature, making him look like a demon of the forest. He glared down at all of them spitefully, his eyes promising a future of pain and ripping of limbs.

Sakura let out a gasp when his eyes trailed over to her, yet his expression did not seem to change. He continued to hold his scowl, his frown only deepening when he stared at her, and then dropped his glare.

"Sasuke, listen to us, we need to seal your curse mark again," Kakashi shouted but the boy just gave him a distrustful look.

"Oi, brat, get down here! You can hold your girlfriend's hand if you get scared!" Anko hollered more forcefully, getting a blank stare out of Sasuke.

The Uchiha snorted, turning away from all the other ninjas that began to annoy him with their presence. He would have attacked them without a second thought, but he felt a heavy consequence if he lost and was caught. Something inside of him cringed in anticipation—fear maybe?—when he thought of a possibility that was very, very painful.

Sakura reached out to him, yelling out when she spotted him walking away from them, "Wait, Sasuke-kun!"

He faced her at the sound of his name, his red and black eyes dancing in the shadowy setting of the forest. Above them the sun was covered by yet another cloud, causing the world to slightly darken for a moment. He didn't say anything, but his apathetic expression and lively eyes told her everything.

He was coming back for her. Scanning his face, she couldn't tell if she was going to be punished for her bold, hurtful move. She didn't want to know.

A second later, he vanished in a blur, causing Sakura to fall to her knees. What just happened in that period of twenty minutes? All of that… Being pinned down by Sasuke, seeing a strange side of him, running away from Anko and Kakashi, and biting him, falling down…

She was a little out of it, so she jumped a little when she felt a hand plant itself on her thin shoulder. Glancing up at her sensei, Kakashi promised, "I'll be right back with him and he'll be back to normal, I promise. Don't worry. Go home and get some rest. He won't come after you anymore."

The pinkette nodded slowly, gradually taking in the information. She stood up and brushed her dusty dress with her thin hands and winced when she accidently flicked her sore wrists a bit too quickly. Anko and Kakashi disappeared as soon as she confirmed their decisions, leaving her by herself in the small forest.

Rubbing her wrists lightly, she noted how Sasuke cared for her better than he did to others when his curse mark is activated. Why would he do that? Was it because she was close to him in person, as a teammate? That would mean that he would act caring to Naruto, too, then… But it just didn't make any sense. Sure, he wasn't relatively close to anyone, but he still respected Kakashi the same way he did to Naruto—although it was a bit hard to see through little spats and provoking comments.

Also, she had this insisting feeling that he was coming back very soon, and the look he threw her only confirmed her suspicions.

Swallowing loudly, she strolled back in the direction she assumed her home was in, cat eyes flickering to everything that moved in her sights in paranoia.

It was only a matter of time, for that, something unavoidable, to happen.

.

Yeah, uhhh, sorry if this is weird. I was sleepy the whole day and didn't feel like writing, yet forced myself to. Hope you like it!

I'm a little unmotivated for my other store The Playboy's Bestfriend, so I decided to let it all out on writing this chapter. I'm still tired though. XD.

Please tell me how you liked/loved/were okay with it! I love to hear all of your opinions and what I can work on:)

Until next time!

Please read and review! **Again, the standard 15 to 20 reviews are needed in order for me to update.** It's pretty unpredictable on when I will update, though, since we're getting to a weird, busy time of year. So, please, be patient!

~CiiCiinREX.

**Date Ended: 12-10-10; 10:25 PM.**


	5. iv: Punishment

_LOL, I'm still putting off my other story. I feel so bad D: XD But I still need some time for it, I'm sorryyy. This story has been the interest of my imagination so far, so might as well do it. Anyway, it'll come back. I'll get back to it during my Winter Break. I'll probably update a bit often during those two long weeks anyway._

_OMGGGG, who saw the Naruto filler for episode 189? THAT WAS SO FRICKEN HILARIOUS AND ADORABLE! The best so far along with the Kakashi's mask one! Omggg. Did anyone see the subtle SasuSaku moments? XDD. I did. Heheh._

**Started on: **12-14-10

**Summary: **Something—even though it was so small—happened to Sasuke during his curse mark transition from Orochimaru, and now the brooding teenager is now transforming in front of their eyes for everyone to see. The bite was a success, yes, but the only flaw is that for some reason the possessed Sasuke has a newfound interest in Sakura, who can watch helplessly as he merges with his dark, possessive side, still not sure if she likes it or not.

**Disclaimer: IDNON. Hurrrrrplz.**

**.**

**Of Dark and Light**

**Chapter 4**

**.**

_Deep underground in an unknown area lay a seemingly desolate base that was lightly dimmed, its only source of light being the dying fires on the torches placed meters apart, far enough that one could easily trip and stumble in the lighting._ _As two familiar jonin continued their chase for a recognizable, rampant genin, two figures sat quietly underneath the earth hundreds of miles away from their positions. The place was murky and dim, the only source of light was the flickering fire on the torches which were dying quickly as the substance wasn't fed the amount of oxygen it needed to thrive. Winding hallways dominated the base, twisting and turning in ways that one would decipher as it being a maze that they could easily lose themselves inside of. All around was the bland color of brown, save for the oranges and yellows that were splayed on the walls and floors like spilled paint with half of the opacity it usually held._

_The first figure was panting slightly while he lay in a bed filled with white sheets, his grey arms held in front of himself like bars as sweat dribbled down his snow-white skin. His long black hair covered his face, his purple makeup and canary eyes peeking through only slightly as he shifted every now and then. At his side was a man, maybe in his late teens or twenties, his grey hair held up in a spiky ponytail as he flicked his round glasses up back to the bridge of his nose since it slid down every now and then. He stood at the pale-skinned man's bedside, patiently waiting before he spoke._

_"Orochimaru-sama," The man addressed submissively. "I have heard rumors about the Uchiha, your new vessel."_

_At first, Orochimaru did not speak due to his heavy heaving until the raspy sound ended all together. "And what of these 'rumors'?"_

_"It seems that the Uchiha has a found an interest in his female teammate," Kabuto explained, his middle finger laying on the curve of his glasses. "Apparently, it started right after he received the curse mark."_

_"Hmmmm..." The snake-like man hissed in thought, momentarily forgetting about his pain as he began to ponder deeply. "It seems that my Heaven Seal Curse Mark has a minor flaw…"_

_The grey-haired man gazed at his superior in question, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion as Orochimaru began to chuckle slightly. Shifting a little weight on to his left leg, he inquired, "Flaw?"_

_"My curse mark is made by forcing special enzymes into the victims body, where they lay dormant until they are prodded to be used, whether that be when the victim is in peril or I bend the curse mark to my will," Orochimaru said, grunting a bit. "When it is in use, the enzymes float in the host's cells, around the chakra points where energy flows out and rushes chakra production, essentially giving the host more power than they ever imagined…"_

_"Yes, I know…" Kabuto said uncertainly as his master began to cough violently. "But how does that explain his interest in Sakura-san?"_

_"Theoretically, the enzymes flow in the body as soon as the power is transferred from me, but they tend to steer clear of the head. It's not very common, but it seems that a few enzymes have travelled upwards to Sasuke-kun's brain and have resided into his pituitary gland. If that has happened, then that would explain his recent behavior. Although, this is the first time I've heard about this…"_

_The Sound nin hesitated, then continued on, "You mean to say…"_

_"Yes," Orochimaru confirmed, his lips curving into a snake-like grin. "The curse mark has connected with Sasuke-kun's hormones, as well as his emotions."_

.

Beneath the numerous canopies of the forest that merged him into the earth as just another shadow, the boy laughed as he observed the two older nins attempt to trail him but ultimately fail since they lost his tracks nearly five minutes ago. They wore determined yet frustrated expressions, Anko's more expressed as Kakashi's harder to see from his mask. In fact, they had not realized it yet but, he had actually manipulated the evidence of where he had treaded, and now they were running in twisted circles. Once they did, it would be too late as he would be gone off without another trace.

He let out another laughed as he clutched onto a thick tree branch, grinning as the wood groaned in protest, and then it snapped. Red eyes flickered under the shade of the large, tall plant standing ramrod straight. Purple chakra was swirling around his form, licking at his stiff bones and caressing his cold flesh. His complex was blotched with ink on every inch of his body, the black and pale almost mixing together to make his skin an ominous shade of grey.

He was confused, he wasn't really sure why he was acting this way—

_(Pain-power-hurt-mom-dad-pink-blood-)_

He wasn't really know that he was letting himself drown slowly, his soul rotting away piece by piece and inch by inch—

_(Power-pink-flowers-Sakura-red-mine-)_

His body was screaming out in pain from overuse and his mind was running a mile a minute—

_(Power-dark-too bright-pink-red-SAKURA-)_

But what he did know...

_(Sakura-red-mine-pink-Sakura-MINE-ALL MINE-)_

Was that he wasn't going to let her go.

_(SAKURA-MINE-NO ONE ELSE'S-KILL-MINE-SAKURA-)_

Feeling a sudden rush of adrenaline, Sasuke threw back his head and howled in laughter, the curse mark's power going to his head. Along with the hooting came a dull pain of throbbing in his head and a burning sensation in his Sharingan-activated eyes. He was so confused from feeling so many emotions at once; anger, hate, lust, love, despair, betrayal, hurt, happiness and, above all, perplexity. Tears rolled down his cheeks as his chuckles turned into roars, his fists pounding away at the wood under him, momentarily forgetting about Kakashi and Anko somewhere in his range of sight that could have heard him. It felt as if someone had ripped out his heart, stomped on it while he was laughing and happy as they did it.

"Why..." He sobbed, clutching at his dark blue shirt on the area of what would have been deemed as his heart. "Why would she hurt me…?" Giggles erupted from his chest as his fingers clawed at the bark, the action vaguely reminding him of the moment he almost passed out when Orochimaru bit him. "I only… wanted to protect her… Haha…"

He was going insane, yet, he did not know why.

Groaning, laughing and heaving with sobs all at once, he exhaled, "She bit me… She hurt me… She _betrayed _me… Why… Sakura?"

He needed her; he needed Sakura. He needed her to make him sane again.

Breathing out sharply, he clenched his teeth together, his sharp canines clanking together as his jaws clamped down on each other. The liquid pouring out his eyes had disappeared, though the traces of his crying still lay on his cheeks for all to see. The glare in his crimson eyes had strengthened ten fold, the intense emotions in his gut flaring up the more he stood there, the fire apparent in his eyes. His purple chakra pulsed, the power so great that a cutting wind was formed by the force that sliced dents and cuts into the trees around him. Green leaves danced around his dark figure as the velocity picked up, the strength so much that his feet stepped off of the branch and he was floating in midair. Another gust dashed around his colorful persona, and within the next second, he was gone.

.

Kakashi and Anko, after ten more minutes of a fruitless chase after a crazed Sasuke, decided that their top priority had to be switched to informing the Third Hokage by unanimous decision **(A/N: NOTE, this is after Sasuke is bit in the preliminaries, but this is before Orochimaru's invasion. So, the Sandaime is still alive and Tsunade isn't mentioned yet.)**. They immediately used a small amount of chakra and transported themselves over into his office, bowing in respect to the slightly surprised man.

He sat slumped at his office chair, the desk clear of any papers and books as he was consistent in his work. He propped himself on his elbows and raised an eyebrow at the two slightly-out-of-breath Leaf ninjas. As usual, he was wearing his white and red Hokage robes, along with his head that proudly spoke his position of the village in Kanji.

"Kakashi, Anko," He sucked in a warm breath of smoke from his pipe, his warm, wise eyes peering down at the polite jonin. "What brings you two here?"

"I'm afraid we have some bad news," Anko cut in tersely, standing right back up as her spine was erect and stiff. Kakashi nodded slowly next to her, following her actions as he sighed, ruffling his spiky hair.

"Hmm, straight to the point as always," The Sandaime chuckled, his smile falling as he took in the serious expressions of the two adults. "What has happened?"

"Uchiha Sasuke's curse mark has broken through my seal," Kakashi spoke solemnly, his usually lively tone and eyes now dull with a tang of despair. "And it seems that he has been targeting one person while he takes on this form."

Sarutobi was quiet, pondering. He brought his hand to his red and white hat and flicked it up and down on the crown of his head. It was a habit for him for when he was thinking during grave times as he forged up a plan that would most likely save the most of his village he could. Curiously yet somber he prodded, "And who is this he is targeting?"

"Haruno Sakura."

The wizened man blinked, and then furrowed his brows. He was chasing after his own female teammate? If memory served him right, Sasuke had been rather physically protective of Haruno Sakura, especially during missions. It really didn't make any sense, unless Orochimaru had purposely turned the Uchiha and gave his orders to kill his own pink-haired teammate, but Sakura was such a minority of a flaw in his plans so it didn't match up. So why…?

"That's not all, sir," Anko cut in urgently, her eyes narrowing. "He's been in his curse mark form for a while now, and if the curse mark stays activated for a long period of time, the power will eat away at his body! He'll go mentally and emotionally go crazy!"

"I see," Sarutobi drawled, puffing out another cloud of smoke. "In this case then, I will call over the best tracking nins currently free in the area. If you wish to run over and go to them first to save time, go ahead by all means."

"Hai!" Anko had disappeared immediately, knowing the dangers of the curse mark, where as Kakashi lingered and clenched his fists.

He would protect his comrades' lives.

.

Sakura lay in her bed and sighed as she began to toss and turn restlessly in her small bed. She hadn't been able to get sleep ever since the incident earlier today, even with her sensei's comforting departing words of 'not to worry' and 'everything will be fine'. Dread was pooling in her stomach as if her intuition knew what was about to happen, and this made her muscles coil like a snake ready to spit its venom in defense from a lingering predator from the shadows. She was still dressed up in her red dress with her ninja gear still strapped to her thighs, very tense from the choking atmosphere that settled in her room the moment she stepped inside.

Everywhere she turned she couldn't help but glance back. Her limbs twitched as she attempted to casually work around her bedroom as she would normally do. Emerald cat eyes flickered back and forth, and if she had ears and a tail, her furry appendage would swish from left to right consistently, and her ears would perk up and move in every direction she heard the even slightest noise.

She knew it very well, the feeling. She was being watched.

At first she merely thought of it as paranoia and shrugged it off, mindlessly getting ready for bed when she felt slight flickers of chakra from every direction when she glanced away from the window. It was suppressed clumsily, as if the person wasn't intending to be found by her but was a bit clumsy in chakra control. Unlike them, she was heralded as a natural born genius in that department of fighting, so she caught on pretty quickly. That was about half an hour ago. Since then, her actions had been a bit jerky, and she was prone to hear things that were hard to decipher if they were from her imagination or if they were real.

She was supposed to be a shinobi, or a kuniochi to be precise. She shouldn't be afraid, she should be ready for whatever is thrown at her. Even though she repeated it in a mantra in her head, she couldn't help the quivers of anticipation and slight fear run down her fragile spine. Never had she been targeted or fought with someone on a one-on-one basis, save for Zaku in the Forest of Death and Ino in the preliminary Chuunin exams which she disappointedly bombed, she admitted shamefully.

It felt very strange, especially since it was usually Sasuke or Naruto being thought of as potential threats or a formidable enemy, and she was more than often overlooked as another girl that wasn't good enough for the world. Momentarily, she wondered if this is how her teammates felt when an opposable force took notice of them. Was it thrilling, choking, and a bit frightening for them all at once?

Of course, she wouldn't know, she pondered bitterly. She had always been the weakest link of the team; no matter how hard she tried to become stronger, she would always be staring at their backs. Even if she used all of her strength to dash up to them, the same distance would stay, and if not it would even lengthen which made her even more upset every time. She would never be as strong as they are…—

_Clatter, clatter…_

Due to her nerves that were already tense, she leapt up onto her bed from her lying position and thrust her hand under her pillow where she found her spare kunai. Glaring at the direction she heard the noise, which was the closed window, she spat out with a strained-strong voice, "Who's there?"

_Sssshhhh…_

Nothing answered back as expected. Only the night wind whispered back, the invisible force unable to reach the girl in the room because of the closed space in front of her. She gritted her teeth for a few more seconds before dropping her very tense state. She was being a bit too paranoid, but her intuition never lies! She knew this for a fact, that her instincts had a way of being right all the time whether she liked it or not. That's why she relied on them heavily, mainly on missions or on issues with her teams. Keeping her ears open, she sighed and lay back on her bed, her mind crying out for her to sleep. Her eyelids fell at the unheard command, and soon her body relaxed.

_Tink tink._

The pinkette didn't seem to notice the sound, or she promptly ignored it, but she tiredly threw off her covers and rubbed her eyes, strolling over to her adjoined bathroom. The smooth wood under her creaked slightly because of its tiring age and the sudden weight thrown upon it as she groaned sleepily. Unlike how a ninja should often keep their actions sharp and their footsteps light, hers were sluggish and more like stomps. Flicking the lights on by a switch, she stumbled over the white-tiled floor and grasped a nearby glass cup from the wooden shelf bolted in the wall. Blinking a few times, she twisted the knobs as water gushed out of the faucet, failing to notice a dark presence with red eyes and spiky hair glistening in the moonlight crouching outside of her window.

His hand pressed through the small crease between the window and the wall.

_Shhh-chk._

Unhurried, the figure pushed the window aside quietly as he listened to the humming that emitted from her throat several feet away from his position. A light breeze hit him on his covered back as if it were encouraging the boy to enter the abode, which he did without protest. He landed on his feet on the old floor gracefully without a sound that would alert anyone and stood there for a few minutes. When the noise of the running water in the pipes stopped, his feet began moving like a pendulum, one in front of the other evenly and in a perfect rhythm. He had no trouble in muffling his weight even if the floor was loud when someone treaded on it. The movements he created were light like feathers drifting in the wind if not non-existent; the flowing swaying of a professional killer.

_S-k, s-k, s-k, s-k…_

The pinkette downed the liquid gratefully, her dry throat replenished with newfound strength as it slid down her esophagus. Her emerald eyes were hidden behind her small lids and her head was thrown back. All signs of alertness had vanished the moment she entered the brightly lit bathroom. She was out in the open, vulnerable to the person who had slunk in past her defenses and who was closing the distance between them step by step. By the time she sighed, refreshed, and placed down the cup that lightly clinked against the counter, he was already turning the corner and entering behind her. His pace neither slowed nor sped up.

_S-k, s-k, s-k, s-k…shhhh…_

Sakura yanked the rag hung up on the rack in front of her down, dutifully drying the moist glass cup and the now wet counter whilst humming a soft tune that even she didn't know. He stopped and was now only two feet behind her, close enough to just touch her…

Slowly, he picked up his right arm and let his arm reach towards her. He never showed emotion—or at least no one could see it since his long bangs were covering his pale face—and stayed rooted to his spot as his hand was only a foot away… a few inches…

The Haruno girl's eyes widened as she swung herself around, but no one was behind her.

_Shhhh…_

Her heart was thumping loudly in her rib cage like a loud and fast drum roll, and it shook her body so bad that she clutching at her chest in attempt to control herself from falling down clumsily. Her nerves were running along her skin like shivers, and alarm bells rang inside of her head. She finally noted that she had broken out into a cold sweat, the wetness seeping into her dress a little.

What just happened…? She could have sworn that something touched her! She might be paranoid, but something had lightly brushed against her hair, she knew! It had moved, and then she had heard a puff behind her, as if someone were breathing.

But no one was there…

She merely sighed and scolded herself again. Recollecting herself, she felt her heartbeat slow albeit the ends of her hairs still stood on end. Turning the lights off before strolling out of the room, she decided to scan her room for her nerves' sake then deemed it perfectly safe. She did, however, furrow her brows when she glanced across the room.

She didn't leave her window open… At least, not that she remembered.

Walking over the somewhat large distance, she slid the window shut and paused for a second, staring out the window. Konoha was sleeping peacefully, the cicadas chirping and all at rest under the bright moon. Peering over her balcony she could see that no one slunk in the roads beneath her. The trees far off in the distance swayed in the wind that passed by every so often and the animals slumbered quietly, the forest never abruptly waking from its nap. Midnight blue dominated the sky above as the white of the moon blurred in the center, its rays dimly lighting the Hokage Monument on her right.

Exhaling through her nose, she wondered what Sasuke was doing at that moment. Was he still in his curse mark form running rampant, or was he fine now and already sleeping at home like Kakashi had promised? Right now, it was hard to tell. It felt very wrong to sit back and wait when her crush was out there somewhere, possibly injured or injuring someone. But what could she do? Definitely not go out there alone to either face a crazed Uchiha or a very irritated and sleepy Sasuke.

Suddenly, she could hear her heart pound in her chest and feel herself beginning to tremble, every sense heightened and alert. She tried to swallow the dry lump in her throat but it was stuck no matter hard she attempted to coax it to. It was then that she realized that the chirping cicadas outside were silent, and all was quiet. Emerald eyes flickered to a spot in the window where she saw a slight reflection. There he was.

The exact moment her shoulders lifted up in surprise, he had pinned her to her bed in a familiar position. Glancing up, the only difference was that now he was regarding her coolly and his Sharingan wasn't activated.

Letting out a shaky breath, she said, "S-sasuke-kun…"

For several moments, all he did was stare at her with hard eyes. His jaw moved around, and then clenched before he replied, "You broke your promise…"

Sakura felt her breath hitch when he pressed his nose into the junction of her neck with a snarl. She tried to keep quiet in fear that her mother would barge in and then he would change his direction of offense. His face was twisted into a furious expression; she didn't even have to look down at him to know that. The proximity of his tense body and the squeezing of her biceps spoke all too well for him. As she wiggled a little and her white blankets shuffled under her, Sasuke growled in her ear, his warm breath fanning the side of her face and neck in the cool air of her room.

The beast didn't talk inside of him this time. It didn't need to since it was now merged with its host. Said Uchiha almost let out a full-blown smirk when he felt her shiver underneath her. He didn't want to hurt her, no, that was the last thing he wanted to do. But she had disobeyed him, betrayed him, so she needed to be punished to realize that she was his. He mentally apologized in advance to her before he spoke again.

"You broke it right after you swore it…" The pinkette was shaking a bit, only adjusting to his weird behavior a little since she had been stuck in this type of situation with him a few times already. Gulping silently, she felt her throat go dry even if it was only minutes after she had gotten a drink.

"You bit me…" She felt his lips press against her jaw line, then trail up dangerously to her ear. "You _betrayed _me." He nearly snarled into her ear, and she felt her intakes of air quicken when she felt him shift over her body a little, stiffening when she sensed him drag the front zipper of her dress open and brush the fabric off of her shoulders. Her fishnet shirt was open to his prying eyes, though they were more drawn to her throat.

"I'm sorry…" She whimpered and felt him halt his movement above her. "I'm sorry…" She almost burst out into a fit of tears out of sheer anticipation and fear.

It was silent except for her soft sobs as he gazed down at her with an unreadable emotion. He observed as her tears trailed down her cheeks, some dripping on the front of her dress whilst some ran down her neck.

He leaned in, "I am, too." Her eyes widened, and she trembled more violently than before as he came closer towards her. "But you need to be punished."

Placing his head back into her junction, he said, "You bite me… I bite you."

The next thing she knew, he had chomped down on her shoulder hard, the sound of the wound akin to someone sinking their teeth into a crisp apple.

Forgetting about her mother sleeping in the house, she let out a bloodcurdling scream of pain.

"_AAAAHHHHHHHHH!"_

…

Even if her shouting was right next to his ear, he didn't let go. Her first scream was the loudest and longest, and after that she was mumbling pleas and cries softly while clutching to his neck and curling her fingers into his hair gently which made him grunt. His teeth stayed put in the flesh of her shoulder until he saw her, out of the corner of his eyes, calm down from the hurt a bit. Gradually, he loosened his jaw on her and sank his teeth out carefully. She winced, the feeling very uncomfortable as the bite mark throbbed and ached dully.

The curse mark activated Sasuke watched as the mark he left caused blood to slowly pool out of her in guilt, and, not wanting red to stain her bed or her dress, lapped at it carefully. He was no vampire, but he decided to nonetheless as the liquid left a metallic tang on his taste buds. She winced, the sensation at first stinging when it decreased into a light hum and the feel of his tongue on her was soothing. She wished she could fight him off with the strength and stamina that Naruto had so that she wouldn't be scared or injured, but she wasn't Naruto, and so she could only watch helplessly as he did his way with her. If she fought with him now, her punishment, as he called it, would be far worse.

The Uchiha boy perked up and scanned his work attentively. His mouth had been able to clamp down on almost all of her shoulder, so the mark was circling around her junction all the way to where her arm started poking out of her body. The area of skin surrounding the bruise—or should he call it a cut? Every part where his teeth had touched her skin, they were sunk in—was an angry red. He felt guilty for inflicting harm on her, but moreover he felt pride for giving her his claim over her, and she could even see this as a badge of courage from facing the punishment.

**(A/N: Yeah… he's a little psychotic at the moment. XDDD.)**

"It's over Sakura," He purred, joy pumping into his chest when the girl sighed in relief and he curled into her warmth. "Remember, you are mine."

He nearly fell asleep laying his head on her chest, when he heard her small plea. _"Please,"_ she whimpered.

"Sakura?" He inquired, tilting his head to the side. Didn't she hear him? Maybe she was a bit too disorientated from the pain? He looked so innocent now, but he was anything but from the action he had done just moments ago. He blinked when he felt his face being lifted up by her hands.

"Please, change back," She cried, tears pooling out of her eyes. "Please! I miss you, Sasuke-kun!"

"But I'm right here…" He said quietly, unsure about what to do and hurting at the sight of her emotional pain. The being inside of him had bestowed the little knowledge it had about their goals which is why he was so confused, so un-Sasuke-like. Sasuke was still there, but the curse mark had intertwined with his common knowledge, just as it had in the Forest of Death. His mind clicked and he propped himself off the bed, grabbing her hands with his.

"Is that what you truly wish for?"

Swallowing, she recalled his words during the Chuunin exams. Without hesitation, she replied, "Yes, please!"

He twiddled with their fingers, and he weaved his tightly into hers as her sobs died down. Lying back down, he listened to her heartbeat and mumbled, "As you wish."

She observed with her blurry vision in slight fascination as the marks on his body receded back to its origin on his neck. When the process was nearly finished, his eyes rolled back into his head and he slumped down on her chest, fast asleep.

The pinkette nearly cried out in happiness and relief.

Her Sasuke-kun was back.

.

Yeah, sorry if it was a bit rushed, but I'm so tired right now and I wanna go to bedddd. Even my dad who's sleeping behind me keeps reminding me to go to bed. He's starting to annoy me LOL -_-

SOOOO, longer chapter, neh, neh? Better be happy:)

Wow, I made Sasuke really innocent when he's ignorant, yet really psychotic when he's possessive. LOL. This story literally writes itself, just like all the others. I'm sorry if Sakura seems a bit weak in this part, but I try my hardest to keep the characters how they would be in the anime, so yeah. I figured, since she loved him so much that she didn't want to hurt him yet she was very scared, she would act this way. Seriously, she wouldn't just lash out at him in the real series (in pre-Shippuden anyway. I have no idea how she'd react in Shippuden.) because she would be pwned and she... just doesn't do that. It's out of character.

Okay… As I said before, I have no idea when I'll update next. It's unpredictable. BUT! **For me to update, I need at least 15 to 20 reviews. So, 59 + 15 or 20 = 74 to 79 reviews. I also have amazing math skills. XD.**

Please review!

BTW, MERRY CHRISTMAS GUYS! HAVE A GOOD ONE!

See ya next time~

**~CiiCiinREX.**

**Date Ended: 12/22/10 (THE SHORTEST DAY OF THE YEAR!); 10:27 PM.**


	6. v: Slow Movement

_Sorry for the long wait guys! My mom still hasn't gotten the chapters transferred, and I like this particular story a lot so I decided to write the next chapter up..._

_Anyway, I decided to write on my IPhone notes for any chapters when I feel like it since I always have it with me... I've also written another story on it, but I won't update that one until I finish that whole story or at least finish some of my other stories._

_Enjoy!_

**Started on: **12-14-10

**Summary: **Something—even though it was so small—happened to Sasuke during his curse mark transition from Orochimaru, and now the brooding teenager is now transforming in front of their eyes for everyone to see. The bite was a success, yes, but the only flaw is that for some reason the possessed Sasuke has a newfound interest in Sakura, who can watch helplessly as he merges with his dark, possessive side, still not sure if she likes it or not.

**Disclaimer: IDNON. Hurrrrrplz.**

**.**

**Of Dark and Light**

**Chapter 5**

**.**

Sakura groaned as she attempted to wave off the peeking fingers of sunlight that dribbled in through her window, sleep causing her to fail to assess the situation and environment at hand. Her eyelids fluttered when the passing light brightened, even for a moment, as if someone had used a mirror to manipulate the energy and redirect it.

At first, she felt sore all over from running to and fro and being knocked into people - the aftermath of neglecting to train often which was, admittedly, her own fault. Squeezing her eyes shut when the sun blinded her, she gasped when a sharp pain twisted in her shoulder, memories of last night playing right in front of her eyes.

_**'You bite me... I bite you.'**_

Her eyes snapped open as fear and realization pumped through her system, all thoughts of drifting back to sleep thrown out the window.

What had happened last night? Backtracking, she mulled over what she could recall whilst trying to calm her beating heart. Sasuke in the hospital; she had tried to run and tell Kakashi, but he had intercepted her and forced her to make a promise to him. Then Kakashi came in, a chase began, she bit him and fell, he left...

Flinging her to her bed and crawling atop her with such a calm expression that left her breathless in fright, his eyes swirling onyx in the moonlight, his sharp teeth sinking into her shoulder...

Wait! Where was Sasuke?

Jolting slightly, she groaned softly in pain when her shoulder throbbed. However, when she heard rustling in her own bed, she paused and forgot about her injury.

The pinkette nearly shrieked in surprise when her body was lifted and placed on the opposite side of the bed. Exhaling, she peered closely and noticed that Sasuke had neither woken up nor left her bed since the encounter. On the contrary, he had made himself comfortable by snuggling her unconsciously - whether that was some bodily instinct where he grasped things in his sleep that radiated warmth or a result of the Curse Mark's, dareshesay, possessiveness she could not decipher.

A blush rushed from the planes of her cheeks to the tingling ends of her toes. His narrow chin lay on the crown of her pink mop, and she could feel the drawled exhales escaping through his nose shifting her hair. His arms - muscular as she had thought they would be - wrapped around her, one at her waist as the other was draped below of the back of her neck. They pulled her close to his chest, a clothed wall of dark blue that must have served as some sort of sleeping mask since she slept well last night, even with the pain. Her face turned seven different shades of red when she remembered how he had gently licked the wound afterward, making sure to be slow as to not hurt her anymore...

Wiggling a little, she peered up at his tranquil face and stared in awe. His narrowly chiseled face that normally adorned a scowl was flattened into a relaxed expression; sleep, after all, brought out weaknesses and inner thoughts out for all to see. His black, long eyelashes kissed his pale cheeks as he whispered softly, his messy bangs trickling across his forehead and his hair flaring out. She would have giggled at his bedhead if the situation had not been so severe.

Clanging of pots and pans were distant, but Sakura panicked slightly at the familiar sound of her mom's humming and their television rumbling with various sound effects, no doubt her dad skimming through channels before going to work. The thought of her parents walking in on her now scared her to death. But whom should she be scared for? Her parents were civilians, and despite how violent they can be when furious, they stood no chance against Sasuke. Her mom and dad could force her to separate from Sasuke forever, reprimand her until her ears bleed and ground her for who knows when. But Sasuke, who knows what would happen if he snapped...

She groaned again when the light pierced her eyesight, moving and stretching to avoid the annoyance. Even in his sleep, Sasuke seemed to know her struggling and growled, tightening his hold on her. The Haruno squeaked and froze, sighing in relief when he exhaled sleepily and nuzzled into her hair. She gulped, flushed and most likely flustered. The girl wasn't used to any type of physical contact from her brooding teammate whatsoever, so she was sensitive to his every movement.

So now what? She panicked. She knew she should be trying to escape from his hold, but from her experiences on missions, she knew he was a very light sleeper. The other option would be to wait in his arms and hope for the best when he wakes up, although she didn't know how he would react. Either way, he would catch her.

The latter option sounded the best to the pinkette's ears - savoring the way he held her when he was HIM and not possessed by his curse mark and his warmth. Maybe she could even fake sleeping and he could leave without asking her. But Sakura shook off the tempting thought. That would be the coward's way out, and besides, she needed to find Kakashi as soon as possible to reseal the mark.

Swallowing down her fear, she brought a shaking hand to the arm around her shoulders, her finger quietly dribbling down his arms. He dipped his head and his brow tilted upwards, but otherwise he didn't move. They trailed down slowly to the hand on her spine, gripping it gently only for him to knit his brows and groan in protest, hugging her.

.

_The beast within the Uchiha purred in its sleep, knowing very well that near its host, their person of interest - a familiar pink-haired girl - was safe and sound in their arms._

_The being instinctively protested when it sensed the warm chakra of Sakura attempt to drift away, even if she didn't mean to leave them. Even as it slumbered, it still influenced its host to keep her close._

_No matter what._

.

Sakura stopped trying to pry off Sasuke's arms after the fifth attempt; he had a grip like steel and instincts of a wild animal. She sighed, watching him as he slept for a few more moments. He was so relaxed, so peaceful... She wished she saw more expressions like these on his face rather than his cold stares and detached scowls.

She briefly wondered why she wasn't as stricken in fear as she thought she would be. The pinkette predicted she would be dashing out the door with her heart pounding against her ribs and rationality thrown out the window the moment realization set in. Instead, she lay on her bed while the same teammate that chomped on her snuggled into her like a teddy bear. Of course she was afraid, but it seemed that the idea that Sasuke had been possessed by the curse mark and had not attacked her on his own accord calmed her down. After all, the curse mark had receded before she blacked out on her own bed, the Uchiha passed out on her body.

She squinted when the light pierced her eyes again, glaring at the source when her emerald pools widened in shock.

There, outside on her balcony, near her sliding glass door were several jonin huddled on her small patio, Kakashi and Anko and Gai included. The bowl-cut haired man was crouching low and fiddling with his headband, redirecting the sunlight outside to her face. Squinting when she was blinded by the streak for a moment, she watched as Kakashi clamped his hand on his rival's shoulder, his lips moving to form words she could not hear. After a mere second Gai nodded, stepping back as Kakashi and the purple-haired woman did so forward. Sakura felt relief flood into her system at the sight of her silver-haired sensei smiling almost apologetically behind his mask.

He continued towards the glass doors until he stood right in front of them, placing his palm on the one of the clear surfaces. His chest rose, as if he were inhaling deeply, just as Sasuke murmured something into her neck. Blushing out of discomfort, she sent a desperate look that screamed "hurry!".

Kakashi seemed to understand her unwritten plea and leaned forward on the door, exhaling out his mask as he fogged up the clear exit. He breathed the same way about five more time until his finger smeared against the white cloud. Quickly he worked, his slashes and swirls turning into neat, legible writing.

"DAI-JO-U-BU?" It spelled out an she redirected her gaze at her fearful teacher. Smiling, she nodded minutely and his shoulders visibly loosened their tension.

"SA-SU-KE? ASLEEP?" He scribbled hastily, and the pinkette flinched when she heard a loud clatter from downstairs and her mom muttering "dammit". The Uchiha stirred, his arms shifting around her as he pulled her into a more comfortable position, only moaning in protest at the noise. Sakura stared at him in a mixture of fear and awe. _'Wow, using the curse mark must have taken a lot out of him... He's usually up once Naruto begins squirming in his sleep early in the morning.'_ She took notice of his early-bird habits one day when it was her turn taking watch over the campsite on a mission.

The jonin moved in her peripheral vision, obviously panicking if the genin they were sent out to capture had woken from his slumber, effectively putting her in danger. She waved her hand in the air negatively, really wishing she could just project her voice and communicate normally.

"HA-YA-KU," Her sensei wrote another message right after he spotted her gesture. "GET AWAY FROM HIM."

The Haruno wanted to scream out that that's exactly what she had been trying to do for the past ten minutes, but swallowed her voice. Instead, she caressed his hand with the ends of her fingers, massaging the small, invisible knots in his palm. Observing his face, she continued as one dark eyebrow twitched upwards when she unwound a tough one. He sighed, and instantly, his desperate hold on her relaxed.

There it was, a small window of hope. Sakura's throat muscles bobbed up and down nervously as she gulped, working on his other limp hand. It was now or never - she placed both hands over his, drawing circles with her thumbs. He made no movement as she slowly pushed the right one away, onto his side. The coral-haired girl grinned out of nerve and anxiety. Twisting her body cautiously with her arms pressing down on the mattress, she rolled over once, nearing the edge of the mattress -

"S-Sakura?"

The pinkette let out a yelp as she was nearly sent on a painful fall to the floor. She was able to right herself in time, flipping on her back to stare back into smothering, onyx eyes.

Sasuke was in the same position as he had been, only his arms were laid out in front of him lazily. He blinked sluggishly as he peered at her with half-lidded orbs underneath the curtain of messy bangs nearly covering his two eyes. He lifted his head, continuing to stare at her. Sakura had to bite her tongue and clench her fists when trembles instinctively erupted throughout her body, fear rising swiftly like bile to her throat.

He didn't say anything more though his eyes strayed and - following his gaze - she realized what he may have wanted. She couldn't control the flinch when he reached out towards her.

_'Relax, Sakura,'_ She eyed his hand whilst attempting to control her out-of-control heartbeat. _'The Curse Mark is gone... This is Uchiha Sasuke, your crush, your teammate, your drive. He will not hurt you.'_ Oh, how badly she wanted to believe in those words.

The soft, feather-like shivers that came from his delicate touch made something within her tighten and compact. Slowly they cupped her own hand, having no firm grip on her. His hands were soft, fingers long and feminine, yet they were much larger than hers.

He kept his eyes on their hands, sleepily blinking once again as he leaned against her soft pillow, inhaling deeply.

.

_Vanilla... Strawberries... Honey..._

_The beast growled in bliss._

.

"You're safe..." Was the first thing that he managed to sputter in a husky tone. Sakura peered down at him, and emerald clashing with lukewarm shades of grey.

_'I...'_ Her heart fluttered in her chest, replacing the fright from moments before. The Uchiha lightly tugged on her arm and she obliged, scooting closer to his body. He gently shut her hand into a relaxed fist, pressing his pale pink lips to her knuckles. _'I...!'_

"Thank you," He whispered.

She blinked in wonderment. _'What for?'_ She wanted to ask.

But alas, she could only watch as the one whom attacked her and the one whom she was attached to fell into a peaceful slumber.

Originally, that was what she was aiming for: a quick yet effective escape. Now, all she wanted was answers from the boy who bit her muscle-deep.

Speaking of which, Sakura had expected to wake up to painful throbbing but no such event occurred. She had experienced muscle cuts before, and waiting for them to heal was a slow and trecherous process. The Haruno could recall waking up in the middle of early of morning because the pain was so great, wave after wave of seemingly never-ending pain. Hazily, she recalled a second time when Sasuke lapped at her wounds, like a mother cat to its kitten. Did his new artificial power have to do with this new healing ability? She was going to have to look that up later.

A small, almost inaudible rap on the door echoed in the empty room and caused Sakura to jump in surprise. Glancing back to the window, she saw Kakashi gesturing madly towards her with his hands, pulling them to his chest. 'Come here.'

Hesitantly, she sent a withering and worried gaze towards the slumbering Uchiha. She carefully slid her hand out of his, and this time, he allowed her to do so.

Smiling softly, she brushed his messy bangs out of the way of his closed eyes, fingertips brushing his forehead with a gentle swipe.

And then she picked herself up and speed-walked to the door, instantly ripping them both open and, ignoring the jonin rushing past her into her room, sank in relief. The silver-haired man reacted a second later, catching her by the shoulders.

"You've done well," Kakashi muttered apologetically. "I'm sorry..." _'...for not keeping my promise.'_

Sakura could only laugh shakily, rubbing her face with the palms of her hands. "It's fine..." The pinkette dropped her smile as she glanced back to see at least five jonin - Kurenai, Asuma, Gai, Anko, and a man whose face was familiar yet unrecognizable - huddling around the boy sleeping peacefully on her bed. "What's going to happen to him?" She whispered in a low tone.

Kakashi paused, and that one second grated on her nerves for quite some time afterwards. "He'll be fine; we're just going to be sealing his mark a little bit more tighter," He smiled behind his mask dismissively. "Why don't you go downstairs and show your parents you're fine? Your mom's calling you..."

True to his words, a strong voice resounded in the bustling pathway to town that her patio hovered over. "Sakura? Are you up there?"

The Haruno's eyes widened. Did her mom know? Wide-eyed, she faced her sensei and sighed in relief at the shake of his head. "Yeah mom, I'm up here," She called back, leaning forward to catch a glimpse of the woman whom took care of her since day one.

There she stood just outside the archway on the first floor, head tilted with small amounts of flour matting on her cheeks. From the scent if blueberries downstairs, Sakura could tell she was making pancakes. Long, pastel-painted locks cascaded down her shoulders with blue eyes shining in the light. An apron adorned her petite body, and the pinkette wanted to smile at the splitting image if the situation had not been so severe.

"Breakfast is ready!" She hollered from below at a medium volume.

"Okay!" Sakura called back just as loud, waving to ensure her mom wouldn't get suspicious about her behavior.

She and Sakura threw back a few more quirks here and there before her stubborn mother with her highly-sensitive maternal instincts left begrudgingly. The pinkette began to sweat a little when she shot questions like 'is everything alright?' or 'did something happen? something doesn't feel right...' at her. At the relieving sight of her mom leaving, Sakura cheerily rang out, "Be there in five minutes!"

The kuniochi faced the jonin, only to see Sasuke tied up with several chakra binding ropes on his arms and legs. Gai swung him on his back as gently as a taijutsu master could before nodding at a weary Kakashi. "What are you doing to him?" Sakura exploded in a panic, rushing over to the Uchiha's side when her silver-haired sensei blocked her pathway.

"Don't worry; we have it all under control," Kakashi pat her on the back, placing his hands on her shoulders whilst leading her to the door that led outside her bedroom. "Just relax... You've been through a lot."

_'That doesn't mean that you should treat Sasuke like he's a dangerous, wild animal!' Sakura countered inwardly. 'His curse mark is gone; it won't influence him anymore! So why are you treating your student like this?'_

Wanting to know the answer, she pivoted on her heel and opened her mouth, only to find herself alone in her somehow larger room.

.

She sighed dejectedly as she strolled along the dusty roads of the bustling marketplace of the Leaf Village. Just like the days before, children were squealing as their parents watched them carefully, men and women pulling in people with their interesting descriptions for them to buy their products. Fraught with worry, she took a small glance at the Hokage Tower before tearing her eyes off of it, as if she would be caught doing so. How was Sasuke doing? She wanted to know so badly. For the past several hours, all she had seen him for was his curse mark and out-of-character shenanigans. Now, that one moment when he turns normal, he's torn away from her before he could even make a conscious decision for himself.

"Takoyaki!" One man hollered as she passed by his stall absentmindedly, ignoring the large activity of the village. Funny, she thought. Now she was acting more like Sasuke with only a couple of days of seeing and interacting with him, though it wasn't him in actuality... The marketer seemed to have spotted her out with her bright cotton-candy hair and yelled louder boastfully.

"Ramen!" Another shouted out, though instead of the small, wooden stall from before, it was larger. Ichiraku, she noted. She decided that they decided to put a little bit of their products out there in the popular marketplace for both business-sake and public eyes. Her eyes skimmed over the familiar forms of the greying man and his pretty daughter, but she never let it process in her mind as she passed by them, too.

"Taiyaki! Get your taiyaki!" Sakura hesitated for a moment before glancing at the stall. She never really got the chance to eat pastries and all, so she saw taiyaki as a uncommon occurrence and grabbed one whatever the time. The owner seemed to have noticed her and smiled kindly. "Would you want one?"

Well, she was feeling a little empty... "Yes, please." She grinned politely, taking out her wallet.

"250 yen, please," The younger man calculated, pulling out her large, fish taiyaki. The sight of food lifted up her spirits as her fake smile turned real, bowing respectfully at the owner. "Arigato!"

"Come again!" She left the stalls and nibbled on her pastry, watching as the number of stalls began to waver and real stores popped up left and right of her.

She passed by a familiar cafe filled with western pastries, the sweet smells of cinnamon buns and sweet glaze, the light hum of chatter warming her in more ways than she could count. Straight, black coffee and powdery sugar wafted in the air as she stopped at the stopped at the doorstep.

Peering inside momentarily, she caught a sight of a couple sitting comfortably on the wood, red plush booths. The girl was plain but had a small sense of beauty as she smiled to her partner easily, sipping her pale-brown drink. She watched as the boy's eyes travelled down to the girl's lips before a hint of a chuckle lit up in his bottomless eyes. He leaned forward and wiped the white, thick cream off her top lip with the rough pad of his thumb. Blushing, the girl sheepishly laughed and he joined in, both of them kicking their legs back and forth off the ground gently.

When Sakura thought she had seen enough, she nearly jumped back when a teen clad in colorful yet dark attire stepped out, the door swiveling on its pivot point. He gave her a strange look when the bells above halted in their jingling before strolling past her cautiously. The pinkette blushed, growling almost lowly at herself, and stormed off in her embarrassment. She didn't know what was worse, watching a couple that she desperately wished was her and her crush, or staring dumbly at an attractive-looking boy who gave her a look as if she was crazy.

However, despite her inner turmoil, she decided to take a little more time before heading back home. A variety of stores her eyes flickered over, ones that sold trickets, another that sold books, appliances, expensive electronics, when an object caught her eye though the thick, dusty glass of the store window.

She blinked, eying the pale blue notebook whilst regarding the object with curiosity and wariness. There it lay, in front of her eyes next to many others, on its withering pedestal behind the glass window of the shop.

Frowning, she slumped back a little, wondering why such a common item would catch her interest. Her brain was running a mile a minute as she attempted to conjure a reason; it was at the tip of her tongue...

Her head snapped back up attentively, emerald pools blazing as they tried bore holes into the notebook. Of course! Why hadn't she thought of it before?

Nodding at her semi-brilliant plan, she confidently strolled through the store doors, a soft jingle of bells sounding her arrival.

.

_Hey guys... long time no see? Don't kill me! D;_

_I haven't been updating lately because school has been killing me... and sucking out my writing inspiration. I swear, whenever I wanna write down a story or a new chapter or something, my humanities teacher gives me a freakin' epas or extended response that makes me feel like writing isn't worth it... -_-_

_Anyway, how long has it been, one year, two years...? My writing has probably changed, but i don't know if you can tell. If you can, try to pick out the spot that I stopped then picked up on a while later ;D_

_This chapter isn't that exciting... GOMENASAI! I needed more of a plot-builder rather than chapter after chapter of action-action-action... slow writing is essential to plot building... or is that just me? lol._

_I'll try to write out more chapters in the future-I decided to just write a new chapter rather than waiting for my mom to transfer the documents... for how long? xD I can't even tell._

_Anyway, review... the usual request.** I'm asking for at least constructive reviews. What I mean by this is like a 'conversation' to me rather than a distant "update please!" or something. I've noticed reviews that actually mean something or say something towards me directly actually motivate me, and the motivation I usually need to write these stories has been sucked dry... Ask questions, think about what could happen in the future and all that, maybe even request something? I might not do the request thing right away, but the conversations of support in your reviews usually keep me going :P**_

_Anyway, wish me luck!_

_Minna, fighting! (Yes, I'm into KPop and KDramas now, shoot me... please dont. xD)_

_~CiiCiinREX._

_P.S. OMG, As soon as I saved this, I realized that this thing was written a year ago. LOLOLOL. I"M SOOOO SORRY!_


	7. vi: The Aftermath

**Started on: **3-26-12

**Summary: **Something—even though it was so small—happened to Sasuke during his curse mark transition from Orochimaru, and now the brooding teenager is now transforming in front of their eyes for everyone to see. The bite was a success, yes, but the only flaw is that for some reason the possessed Sasuke has a newfound interest in Sakura, who can watch helplessly as he merges with his dark, possessive side, still not sure if she likes it or not.

**Disclaimer: IDNON. Hurrrrrplz.**

**Edit (11-28-13): **_…Wow._

_I have no excuse as to why I haven't been writing or updating any of my stories lately, and I have no regrets. Well, I do very much regret that I may have made several of you frustrated or upset with the lack of updates, but I don't regret taking a break off of writing. School has been so stressful, and I only just regained the desire to write after so many months because now I have a long break, I can't hang out with one friend because of heartbreak, I can't hang out with another because she's all the way in Jamaica, and I'm just sitting around at home hoping to gain some sort of inspiration for something. It's been really difficult guys, I'll say that, so I'm sorry if I've disappointed some of you. But I REALLY needed that break._

_And now I need to write to let out all of the stress and depression that's been plaguing me for the past few weeks. I hope you guys understand. On the other hand, my writing style and diction has matured, so you're going to see a major shift in the middle of the story, and so has my perspective on the subject of Sasuke's possessiveness._

_Again, I'm sorry for my disappearance._

**.**

**Of Dark and Light**

**Chapter 7:**

**.**

Sakura dashed inside her home with a pale blue notebook clutched to her chest. She threw off her shinobi sandals, ignored the greetings of her mom, the grumbling of her low-toned father, avoided crashing into the walls behind every sharp turn, and dashed up the steep flight of stairs leading to her room. Just as her blue-eyed mom peered up at her in question, the mahogany door slammed shut and she could only catch a glimpse of the calloused bottom of her daughter's bare foot wave mockingly at her.

The woman turned to her husband curiously as he shared an exasperation look with her. "Teens..." He sighed, going back to face a sports program involving amateur ninjas and samurais on their small television. "To think we were like that once..."

She just shook her head, sent the door—the entrance to a seemingly quiet room—one more glance before strolling back to the kitchen to prepare dinner. The woman placed her smooth hands on the stove handle before hesitating, averting her eyes once more to Sakura's bedroom door.

Mebuki was a worrier. She had an undeniable instinct when it came to her children—or should she say only child. Biting her lip, she stared at the man she loved grinning slightly at some entertainment show. He and she—they made this wonderful child they called Sakura. She was brilliant, a quick-learner, obedient and respondent to love she and Kizashi portrayed to her daughter often. In fact… she was too brilliant.

The day she announced she wanted a profession as a kunoichi, she would admit that she panicked. Ninjas die every day, perhaps every given twenty minutes, but the pinkette brushed it and her mother's abating protests off with a huge smile. Of course, Kizashi seemed slightly worried as well, but he put her happiness above all and encouraged her dreams. She relented afterwards.

Mebuki wondered if she was happy with her ninja life, wondered about the mysterious boy she rambles on for hours in their quality time and if he treats her nicely, wondered about what she dreams of at night and why she had changed.

"Sakura! Dinner!" She called out with Kizashi claiming his spot at the dip of the table immediately and staring at her with wide eyes. She wanted to giggle at the sight of her husband's childish side leaking out, the only side she and Sakura could spot from time to time.

All thoughts of Sakura's life and doubts melted away when Mebuki watched her beautiful, loving daughter descend the stairs with a clever look apparent in her gem-like eyes. "What's for dinner, mom?" She asked her, beaming at her.

And they all circled around their tiny, wooden table that creaks and wobbles if they are too exuberant, but never broke under their hands for those long ten years before.

.

The pinkette rubbed her belly in satisfaction after another pleasant family dinner, smiling when she remembered how her father squeezed her protesting mother's cheeks with a large grin. With other children, they would have been disgusted at the thought of their parents getting "lovey-dovey", but she thought it was sweet. In addition, they both weren't that much older than most parents were compared to their children as they had her in their earlier years. Dad's hair was still a healthy-looking pale lavender, his eyes glowing with a fire. Mom's skin was as unblemished as ever as she stood as the illustration of beauty, her kindness to youth and old knowing no bounds, even though her sharp, strict eyes and furrowed browed appearance said something else…

She sighed as she entered her room, almost begrudgingly. Sometimes she got so caught up in her ninja life that she nearly forgot her warm family life. And now she knew was a time to transition out of that love and warmth…

Sakura glanced at the notebook that lay atop her burgundy desk, plain and spiral-bound, cheap too, but to her it was the smartest idea she could have ever created in her haze of fear though it was so simple.

She bounced into her cushy chair and did the one thing she was best at since her Academy years.

She wrote.

.

_Day 1 – 9:43:15 PM._

_I'm writing in here to record the events that may lead up to future issues. Probably even my own death, but it's too early to say so._

_You can call me Haruno Sakura, a proud kunoichi of Konoha. You won't know that much about me; I have no special bloodline, my parents are civilians, so my name won't ring a bell in your head, won't it? That's okay. I don't mind. The only thing I ask of you if you read this is to know whether you should report it to the public or the Hokage or to keep it a secret. You'll know what to do and when. It may be stupid of me, but I have trust in whoever picks this up to have at least some sort of common sense…_

_You don't know me, do you? _

_Do you know Uchiha Sasuke and Uzumaki Naruto?_

_Uchiha Sasuke, no doubt you at least heard about him. The last Uchiha, as they say, from a massacre no one in the village of the leaves ever wants to mention again. He's a prodigy, to say the least, for I could wholeheartedly call him the strongest in our team. Very clever, too. I've seen him in action, especially in our very first mission with Zabuza when we were escorting our client, Tazuna. He's so cute; I often fantasize about him and show my affection openly. Or at least, I used to…_

_Uzumaki Naruto. If I could describe him with an epithet, it would be: Konoha's-Number-One-Knucklehead-Ninja. He's a little of an idiot, I would admit. In my tastes, he's a little loud and brashy, ALWAYS has in his nose stuck in trouble one way or another, is obsessed with trying to outwit Sasuke-kun in their one-sided rivalry, and, daresay… never stops trying to flirt with me. However, before I ramble on and on about his negatives, I can see there's a light in him that no one else I know has. He always says that his biggest goal is to become Hokage, so that everyone can acknowledge him for who he is. Once he revealed this, to me, I found a newfound respect for him._

_He's still annoying, though._

_They are my teammates. _

We_ are Team 7._

_I'm not sure who they are once this is read, but I'm curious. In the future, are they still as light-hearted and, though it may be small in Sasuke's part, kind? Are they still friends and do they still bicker? Am I still with them and you just found this by chance?_

_That's how I hope it all turns out, at least…_

_Now, here's the reason why I'm writing this._

_Several days ago, during our Chuunin exams in the Forest of Death, Sasuke-kun was bitten by a pale-skinned man I later found out was named Orochimaru._

_This is where our real story begins._

.

Sakura sighed, stretching her arms as she yawned in her comfortable position in her bed. When her hands brushed the flowing creases in her plain beige blanket, she fell into a thoughtful silence. She wiped her dry cheek, and then brought down her hand to her sore shoulder.

Gooseflesh and her discomfort rose as she remembered that night; it still shook her up a bit. Frowning, she slid out of bed to her bathroom.

.

_You could say that… I'm one of them. Ummm, you know, haha… One of Sasuke-kun's fans. (Though it's a bit embarrassing to admit, even on paper!)_

_I've adored him for as long as I can remember. I think it dates back to our earliest Academy days, but the memory of when I met him lays dormant to this day. There have been a few nights when I ask myself, "How did I first meet Sasuke-kun?" and I would stay awake, staring at my ceiling in bed while trying to stir up that one memory. My only result as of late would be a rough, sleepless night and a deeper frustration than before. _

_It still bothers me, but I know straining myself too much can take a toll on my body. So, I'll wait for the day when the memory just appears inside my head on its own accord._

_Anyway, moving on, there was an occurrence my team and I had with one of the most dangerous shonobi out there: Orochimaru, one of the original Sannin. _

_My team and I had been exploring the Forest of Death in our Chuunin Exams very cautiously, scouting the area for any unsuspecting teams to ambush and steal their scroll. Naruto, as obnoxious as he usually was, decided all on his own that he suddenly needed to 'relieve himself' which he could have done before coming to the forest. But, I was convinced he would be fine when I saw him shamelessly grin at the both of us, his form shrouded in darkness as he found an ideal… ummm, branch._

_That's when things started to fall apart._

_Before I even knew what was really going on, a woman with long dark hair was peering at us with a malicious grin. The smile still haunts me in my dreams. But in reality, that woman was a man, and he easily found ways to break down our barriers. I watched as Sasuke-kun, the teammate who was the strongest, the most experienced, the most confident, hyperventilate and scream, throwing weapons in a frenzy of panic. _

_I'd never seen Sasuke-kun like that before… and in that moment, I knew we were doomed._

_But then, Naruto appeared as our savior in an unscrupulous fashion. He was the one to smack some sense into Sasuke-kun, but he was also the one who went to fall first. _

_The next thing I knew, I saw that man's neck suddenly shift, growing longer and longer in a snake-like manner. The way it swirled as his face plummeted towards Sasuke-kun was frightening; the movement suggested that no matter what way he tried to escape, he would catch him. Then, the man sunk his teeth into Sasuke-kun, quite literally. (It seemed too surreal, and it sounds like something out of a corny vampire trilogy, but I kid you not.)_

_When the mysterious man disappeared with chilling words, morphing into the forest's wood, Sasuke-kun began to writhe on the branch, screaming hoarsely in pain. I was overcome with fright and worry when I heard his tone heighten in a way I never thought was possible; it was bloodcurdling… it was unbearable._

_Instinctively, I had hurried to his side, calling out his name desperately, but he acted like he couldn't hear anyone. His fingers were clutching the bark of the wood, his nails bleeding a little from the intrusions, so I took one of his arms and put it over my neck, where his right hand clawed at my red kunoichi dress. I grabbed his left hand and gave him a reassuring squeeze, or at least tried to, and he replied with a crushing grip. _

_At this point, I was almost in tears. I continued to call out his name, my own voice getting higher and higher that it mimicked his own whimpers. My eyes searched his face for any sort of response, but all I saw was creased brows and grinding teeth. _

_In that moment, my only thought was "I will never forgive that man"._

.

The pinkette strolled over to her team's usual meeting point at the crimson bridge. She adopted a slower pace than usual because, to be honest, she dreaded their reunion. Naruto was oblivious as ever to this, but Kakashi had encountered Sasuke in his chase of her, and he was also the one to transfer the Uchiha to a safer location. Would he take her away in a more private area to "talk about her progress"? Would he bombard her with questions the moment she was in his plain sight? She sighed, rubbing her temples. She was sure she wouldn't be able to respond because she herself didn't know any answers either.

Her blood pumped through her veins when she caught a speck of red in the distance. And soon enough, orange and green dots appeared on the bridge. Gulping down her anxiety, she summoned the little courage and resolve she had left and mentally echoed assuring phrases in her mind.

_It'll be fine! Sasuke is back to normal. He'll probably just give you a look and glance away like he usually does!_

But… what if he transformed spontaneously in front of her whole team? She shook her head, dispelling the chance away. She couldn't focus on the bad things that could happen; that was when they really happened…

It didn't help that despite her constant reassurances that Sasuke had been possessed by some… some sort of _demon_, inside, a seed of fear had been planted inside of her. Her initial and innocent crush towards her raven teammate was now twisted into something much more dark, something that made her squirm, tear up, and hyperventilate. Disgust and fear… or was it just discomfort and pity? Whatever it was, it just urged Sakura to run and forget; forget the bite, forget his possession, forget Sakura, forget life…

The first person she saw turn his head her way was her grey-haired sensei, and for the greatest reason, she threw out any feelings of insecurity when she knew he was likely to question to her, and instead she was filled with an emotion that only two other men in her life had made her feel. Safe. Before she even knew it, her hesitant walking pace was warming up into a jog, and Naruto managed to face her, send her his radiant grin before hollering his normal flamboyant greeting with a "Sakura-chan!"

When she felt her soles scrape the royal red wood of the bridge, she noted one important character was missing. Frowning, she peered over to the older man who still was giving her his wary look. "Kakashi-sensei? Where's Sasuke-kun?"

"The teme's late!" Naruto grumbled impatiently, crossing his arms over in a huff.

Kakashi sized her up for a moment. The pinkette couldn't deny how vulnerable, and just a little bit violated, she felt every time someone judged her, their eyes seemingly piercing through her form as they looked up and down. Then, as if he had only frozen, he smiled crookedly underneath his dark mask. "Ah, he sent me a message beforehand early this morning. It seems he will have to skip training for a few days to talk about clan business with the Hokage, but he isn't sure if this matter will be taking longer than that."

She could only imagine what he was really saying between the lines. _"He's pretty maniacal right now, so he's being imprisoned and guarded until we can find out some sort of cure. It's most likely going a while for him to recover."_

For some reason, today her mouth worked faster than her brain. "Hmmm… I guess I could visit him later on and see if he's doing okay, then." Her outward beam desperately covered up her inner grimace. What was she saying?!

The jounin gave his student a stern one-eyed glare that fixed her beam onto her face, when suddenly, the look softened and cogs began to turn in his head. Sakura's determination when Naruto let out an indignant cry of protest at the thought of the female visiting the dark avenger. She was swimming in relief, however, when Kakashi merely nodded in supportive agreement. "When you do, send him my regards!" She managed to catch the dry undertone for a half a second.

"Alright," The older man clapped his hands together. "Enough talk; time to train!"

.

The pinkette nearly cried out in frustration as she slid down onto one knee into the short blades of grass in fatigue, gritting her teeth. Her sparring partner, less begrimed and sweaty, mirrored her stance near a lush tree and panted loudly. "Wow, Sakura-chan," Her blond teammate prattled loudly with a wide grin. "You sure did improve!"

_Liar. _Sakura hissed inwardly, her dark mood swirling inside of her chest like an unbridled tempest. He was holding back, and she could tell. Naruto didn't charge her head on with his full power like he did when she observed how Sasuke and him sparred. Rage swirled in her narrowed emerald eyes. He was going _easy _on her.

If he was really giving her his all, he would have been glaring at her with burning determination and charging at her with several of his clones. She was no fool. She was painfully aware of his time spent away from Konoha, and based on his long, colorful tales, Jiraiya, one of the renown and powerful Sannin, had been teaching him several practical jutsus (one, he claimed proudly, summoned a toad bigger than the Hokage's mansion). Yet, during their spars, he had chosen to resort to his taijustu and low-level weapons. _And his stare_, she clicked her teeth together. It _really _didn't help that he continued to look upon her with open admiration for the whole duration of the mock-fight.

Growling with her eyesight burning a brilliant shade of red, she quickly snapped a handful of kunai in his direction with speed she never knew she had. Naruto, bleary-eyed, yelped out in surprise and threw himself away from the tree, the weapons embedding themselves with a loud _thud. _Giving him no chance to recover, she hurtled towards him quickly, the muscles in her nimble, soft legs burning in protest.

Swiftly she attacked, and Naruto could only dodge sloppily as his teammate ambushed him in a barrage of powerful strikes. Bright blue eyes widened at the seventh blow, and the blond gasped in pain when her precise kick slammed straight into his abdomen. With a cry of pain, he went flying into the foliage of the trees, the telltale sound of crackling indicating that he was falling back onto the ground.

_Finally! _Sakura thought with unrestrained glee. After nearly fifteen minutes of a useless dance of attack-and-dodge, she had managed to land the first blow.

After a few seconds of strolling cautiously through the brilliantly green and brown mini-forest, the warm sunlight peeking through the leaves, she found Naruto, face down in the dirt with his eyes swimming. "Owww…" He moaned and twitched a few times.

Sakura eyed him with outrage and disbelief. He wouldn't have been lying on the ground unceremoniously if he was sparring with Sasuke or another ninja. Angered, she managed to give him a strong kick to his head.

"OW!" The blond genin cried out in pain. "Sakura-chan!" He nearly sobbed.

"Will you ever stop acting so immature?!" She snarled, her fists clenched and shaking at her sides as the knuckles were bleeding bone-white. "If we were in a real fight, you would be getting up and charging at me with everything you had, but what are you doing now?! Lying down on the floor? Taking a small nap? JUST WHAT DO YOU TAKE ME FOR?!"

Naruto, now sitting up in shock, listened to her with his mouth agape, and she would have stopped her embarrassing rant if she had taken the time to hear their sensei approach from behind. "I don't need you to baby me. I don't need _anyone _to protect me! I'm a full-grown kunoichi who can take care of herself! I'm not a damsel in distress, dammit! I don't need you… I DON'T NEED ANYONE!"

"Sakura," She felt a large hand shake her left shoulder gently. Surprised, her jaw snapped shut, her teeth ringing slightly at the force. "Sakura, that's enough."

As the red bled out of her sight, she felt shame lodge itself in her throat. Naruto was staring at her with a great amount of hurt and confusion, so much that the pinkette swiveled her gaze to the shadows on the forest floor and couldn't bring herself to glance back up at the dirt-matted face again. What was wrong with her? Naruto didn't deserve all those words, no one did. It just… it just came out of nowhere.

The Haruno ninja covered her face with her ashy hands, burning with regret. Why was she acting this way?

"Well," Kakashi's false cheer broke through her tension, shaking her out of her reverie. "I think that's enough sparring for today! Wouldn't want to exhaust ourselves before the Chunnin Exams, right? Why don't you two head on home and get some rest?"

She had to apologize to Naruto. She needed to pull him aside and explain the situation. Didn't he deserve to know what was going on to his teammates? Screw keeping confidential information! Hadn't Kakashi-sensei been the one to tell her to value friends and teammates over oneself? And then, she had to have a serious talk with her grey-haired sensei. Sasuke's absence was both a comfort and a curse. Where was he? Was he himself? She needed to have a long conversation to him. She needed to figure out how she felt about Sasuke now. She needed answers from the Hokage. She needed to warn all of the other genin. She needed to keep her shoulder injury hidden. She needed to tend to the throbbing injury. She needed to protect Sasuke and Naruto. She needed… she needed…

She needed a break…

Emotionally, mentally and physically exhausted, Sakura walked away from the training field with heavy burdens, dragging her feet on the gravel of the road and very much aware of the exchanged worry looks between the remaining members of her team.

.

_The beast was pacing back and forth in its cage with no walls, and when it wasn't pacing, it was worrying at his nails._

_Its host was semi-conscious as he stared at the white table in front of him, and it pitied him for his pain and confusion from the blinding light and throbbing migraine. It hadn't meant harm to its host, but it had done what had to be done._

_And yet, while the beast was happy it had been able to mark its territory, jumping with glee would be a more accurate term, a foreign, invasive emotion continued to dampen its celebration. With its happiness came the girl's pain, and the image of her damp, horrified face constantly replayed inside of its host's mind._

_Not only that, but heavy thoughts and words circled the beast inside the vast, dark space. _What have I done? What happened? Where am I? Sakura… Sakura, why am I thinking of her? Why have they taken me? _The beast quickened its pacing and its breathing grew shallow as its host's emotions attacked it with each new thought._

"Uchiha Sasuke," _A voice resounded outside of the beast's cage, and it instinctively snarled_. Sasuke also bore his teeth involuntarily at the stranger. The Uchiha blinked furiously, feeling heavy as he wiped the expression off his face and glared questioning at the masked ANBU standing in front of his, their hands folded behind their back.

"Where am I?" He demanded, wondering why his voice was so hoarse and why his dry mouth tasted strongly of iron. The corners of his eyes were fuzzy and dark as he squinted at the opposing ninja. He wiggled in discomfort, indignant when he realized that his hands bound and that they had drugged him.

"You're charged with the assault of a fellow ninja as well as breaking and entering," The masked shinobi continued, ignoring the way the surviving Uchiha glared furiously at him. "Attacking a teammate is considered one of the highest crimes in Konohagakure," The crow-masked ANBU drawled maliciously, noting how the young Uchiha froze and his eyes dimmed.

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke sniped, cursing at himself when he heard his voice waver. Scrambling around in his mind for the memories prior to his capture—and during because he honestly could not remember _any of this_—Sasuke winced as his migraine intensified when small visions and images flashed before his glassy eyes.

_The beast whined as its host's pain, pawing at its own head._

"Unfortunately, with your… _condition,_" The annoying man droned, his monotonous voice scratching against Sasuke's ears. "And with the Hokage's orders, we have to lighten your sentence—"

"Condition?" The raven-haired genin growled, frustrated for being left in the dark.

"—since you are, after all, diagnosed as criminally insane."

"I—" Sasuke paused in horror, and suddenly, _he remembered. _

"With this, you are now forbidden from seeing Haruno Sakura for the duration of 6 months—"

"I'm not insane," He pulled at his restraints, feeling the overwhelming guilt and panic and disgust and fear and _no no no no what did he do? _His eyesight swam as the emotions he had steeled himself against for years began to pour and drown him. "I… I'm not…"

_The beast stiffened as it heard the familiar call for help wailing inside of its host._

"—and if there is no sufficient cure or treatment, you will be exempt from the Chuunin exams and put on probation for 2 years—"

The man's words were forgotten and drowned out, and soon the only sound Sasuke could hear was his heart beating faster and louder than he remembered. Trembling, he couldn't see the shinobi's lips moving behind the mask, but he could hear everything he was meaning to say in his unforgiving, brown eyes peering through the holes.

_MONSTER._

_MONSTER._

_YOU'RE A MONSTER._

_Growling, the beast embraced its panicked host. It insistently urged him to fall back to sleep in his mind, but in his shock, Sasuke chose to stay conscious and watch in horror as the being took control of his body._

Sasuke knew he was screaming and holding his head as the pain in his head exploded. He was clawing at everything and flailing his arms freely, as the darkness swirled down his arms in cold fire. Like bruises, they stood out from his pale arms, and with sick fascination, he wondered if there was a way cover his whole body in the black marks.

He was laughing. Why was he laughing?

"Die, die, die," He was chanting, grinning widely at the ANBU who stood still throughout the episode. "I think you should die. Wouldn't that be fun?"

He remembered that he had thrown himself at the ninja opposite of him with great speed and was instantly wrestling with a man. He remembered snapping a few bones, hearing a few gargled screams, and the smell of burning flesh. He remembered screaming when he couldn't move and when he spotted the familiar face of his sensei hovering above him, looking pensive and regretful. "I'm sorry, Sasuke."

_The beast roared, clawing at its invisible cage. It wouldn't let anyone hurt its host. It wouldn't let anyone hurt Sakura. No… no no NO __**NO NO**__—_

Quickly, both the beast and host fell into warm, dark and ignorant bliss.

…

_And… yeah. More expansion on the plot._

_I know that there wasn't any Sasuke and Sakura interaction this chapter, but don't worry. There will be in the next chapter._

_Anyway, some people suggested that some other relationships, such as the one between Naruto and Sakura, should be expanded upon, and I agree that I have been centering on Sasuke and Sakura a little too much in previous chapters. Sakura will need some support and relief throughout the story or else she'll go crazy, so it'll be required._

_Also, like I've mentioned before, my thoughts on Sasuke's condition and his behavior have changed. When I first created this story, I mainly thought his possessiveness and his mental condition was hot, but now when I step back and look on what I've learned these past few years, I know the problems runs deeper than that. There will definitely be come psychological issues and explanations with his condition in the future. Also, if someone like Sakura experienced what she had, I know that they'd be traumatized. And I'm trying to incorporate that in, too._

_Anyway, I don't know when the next chapter will be written. I don't want to make empty promises like before, but know when I do, I will at least have some motivation to make a well-written chapter rather than spew out crap._

_And the usual R&R and all that. XD_

_I hope this chapter wasn't too disappointing._

_~CiiCiinREX._


End file.
